DNA Sequence Analysis of an Immunogenic Glucose-Galactose Mglb

Colonic Spirochetosis (CS) is a newly emerging infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the pathogenic spirochete Brachyspira (formerly Serpulina) pilosicoli (6,7,9,38,56,58). Infection with B. pilosicoli or lesions consistent with CS have been recorded in a wide variety of hosts including human beings (6, 22, 56, 61, 62), nonhuman primates (8, 9, 36), pigs (2, 6, 7, 11, 13, 27, 52, 54, 55), dogs (6, 8, 10), commercial chickens, and various species of wild and zoo birds (39). The prevalence of CS among adults in the United States and Europe ranges between 4.5 and 32.2% (45). By contrast, infection with B. pilosicoli is endemic among villagers in Papua New Guinea; 93.6% of the population is infected for a calculated average duration of about 4 months (61). Porcine, canine, human, and monkey strains of B. pilosicoli are closely related and cause CS in chick and swine infection models (6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 35, 36, 54, 57–60). Similarly, laboratory mice can be colonized for up to 30 days with human, porcine, and avian B. pilosicoli strains (46). Collectively, these data suggest that B. pilosicoli may be zoonotic, and this has public health significance.