Helcococcus ovis and Helcococcus kunzii, emerging pathogens in swine?

Manon Houben1, Karlijn Eenink1, Karin Junker1 1) Royal GD, Pig Health department, Deventer, The Netherlands

Background & Objectives

Helcoccoccus (H.) ovis and H. kunzii are bacteria which are rarely described as pathogens in pigs. Helcoccocci are reported in several animal species like sheep, cattle, horses, pigs and also in humans and related to bronchopneumonia, mastitis, urinary tract infections, endometritis, valvular endocarditis and wound infections. Often these infections accompany infections with other bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella multocida, P. hemolytica, Trueperella pyogens and Escherichia coli

Material & Methods

Retrospective analysis of pathological examinations of 3790 large ruminants (cows and calves), 1410 small ruminants (sheep and goats) and 2745 swine was performed. All examinations were done at Royal GD Deventer and isolated bacterial cultures were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Results

As described in literature, Royal GD data also revealed that ruminants are the most affected animal species. From January 2021 until June 2022 (18 months) H. ovis was isolated 53 times in animals submitted for necropsy at Royal GD.

H. Ovis is mainly cultured from lungs with bronchopneumonia, lung abscesses, severe pleuritis and a case of peritonitis.

H. kunzii was found four times in three months (March 2022 – June 2022). Three cases in cattle, where H. kunzii was cultured from bronchopneumonia, endometritis and myositis and one time in an adult boar were the bacterium was cultured from an infected claw.

Discussion & Conclusion

For now these bacteria do not seem to be primary pathogens of swine, but occurrence should be monitored.