LAUSR

Hedgehog diphtheric disease (HDD), an ulcerative skin disease with a high fatality rate is an emerging threat to European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). We explored the potential role of a panel of zoonotic pathogens in the presumed multifactorial nature of HDD in 188 hedgehogs from three wildlife rescue centers in Belgium. As expected, and with a prevalence of 67% in 57 hedgehogs with skin lesions, characteristic of HDD, the occurrence of Corynebacterium ulcerans was strongly associated with the disease. Remarkably, with a prevalence of 42% in affected animals, infections with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu were 3.92 times more likely to be detected in HDD (95% confidence interval: 1.650 - 9.880; p = 0.0024). Overall, 40 hedgehogs tested positive for the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu complex, including B. afzelii (n = 30), B. bavariensis (n = 7) and B. spielmanii (n = 7). Other widely occurring pathogens included Salmonella (prevalence of 19%, with three PFGE profiles) and Leptospira sp. (prevalence of 11%, including L. interrogans and L borgpetersenii) but these were not associated with occurrence of HDD. These findings show that hedgehogs in Belgium represent a significant reservoir of multiple zoonotic bacteria, of which toxigenic C. ulcerans and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu are associated with widespread hedgehog skin pathology and mortality. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.