Papillomatous digital dermatitis in a Holstein-Friesian bull

Abstract

Extract

Papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) is an infectious and contagious disorder of housed, adult dairy cattle. The ensuing lameness is often severe and results in significant economic loss, mainly due to decreased milk production (Hernandez et al 2002). The disease, first described some 30 years ago in Italy (Cheli and Mortellaro 1974), has since been reported in many other European countries (Peterse et al 1982; Blowey and Sharp 1988), North America (Rebhun et al 1980; Read et al 1992; Borgmann et al 1996) and Australia (McLennan and McKenzie 1996), though not in New Zealand. In the United Kingdom and North America, PDD is the most common skin lesion observed in association with bovine lameness.