Management of Ovine Footrot and Associated Lameness

Ovine footrot is a contagious bacterial disease of sheep, primarily driven by Dichelobacter nodosus and exacerbated by secondary organisms such as Fusobacterium necrophorum. Clinically, it ranges from interdigital dermatitis to separation of the hoof horn from underlying tissue, leading to variable severity of lameness. Economic losses and animal welfare concerns have stimulated multifaceted control approaches. Central measures include prompt identification and individual treatment of lame sheep, rigorous biosecurity practices to prevent introduction of virulent strains, and environmental management to reduce moisture and slurry build-up. Therapeutic strategies encompass targeted use of injectable and topical antibiotics, judicious footbathing with antiseptics or disinfectants, and avoidance of routine foot trimming that may prolong recovery. Integrated on-farm plans combine selective breeding for genetic resistance, vaccination programmes against D. nodosus, and ongoing training of stockpersons in locomotion scoring. Continuous monitoring of flock lameness prevalence and rapid removal or treatment of affected animals underpin sustainable reduction of disease incidence.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent longitudinal investigations have illuminated pathogen survival and transmission dynamics. One study demonstrated that D. nodosus persists on diseased feet and in soil while F. necrophorum survives predominantly on diseased feet, mouths and faeces, indicating divergent strategies for environmental persistence and opportunities for targeted eradication by removing clinically affected sheep and allowing environmental fade-out. Another analysis of microbial communities in footrot lesions revealed a marked dysbiosis: high expression of interleukin-1β in lesions correlated with overgrowth of Treponema, Mycoplasma and Porphyromonas, whereas healthy feet with inflammation exhibited Acinetobacter, Corynebacteria and Flavobacterium. These findings highlight the importance of the broader bacterial ecosystem in lesion development and the host innate response in influencing clinical outcomes.

Management of Ovine Footrot and Associated Lameness publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in management of ovine footrot and associated lameness across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dichelobacter nodosus: Gram-negative anaerobe responsible for initiating ovine footrot.

Interdigital dermatitis: Early footrot stage characterised by inflammation between the claws without horn separation.

Footrot: Progressive disease causing separation of hoof horn from underlying tissues, leading to severe lameness.

Dysbiosis: Disruption of the normal microbial community associated with disease lesions.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS): Analysis of genetic variants across the genome to identify loci linked to disease traits.

References

1. Genome-wide association study identifies genetic variants underlying footrot in Portuguese Merino sheep. BMC Genomics (2024).
2. Aetiology, Risk Factors, Diagnosis and Control of Foot-Related Lameness in Dairy Sheep. Animals (2019).
3. Sites of persistence of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Dichelobacter nodosus: a paradigm shift in understanding the epidemiology of footrot in sheep. Scientific Reports (2019).
4. A longitudinal study of the role of Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum load in initiation and severity of footrot in sheep. Preventive Veterinary Medicine (2014).
5. Recognition of lameness and decisions to catch for inspection among sheep farmers and specialists in GB. BMC Veterinary Research (2008).
6. A distinct bacterial dysbiosis associated skin inflammation in ovine footrot. Scientific Reports (2017).
7. Increase in the flock prevalence of lameness in ewes is associated with a reduction in farmers using evidence-based management of prompt treatment: A longitudinal observational study of 154 English sheep flocks 2013–2015. Preventive Veterinary Medicine (2019).