Microbiological and Hematological Diagnostic Profiles of Strawberry Footrot in Sheep in Karawang, Indonesia

Dermatophilus congolensis (D. congolensis) is a gram-positive, coccus-shaped pathogenic bacterium that develops a filamentous structure during the infectious phase. The D. congolensis can cause scab lesions on sheep’s feet, which may eventually develop into bloody tissue resembling crushed strawberries. The present study aimed to provide diagnostic, microbiological, and hematological profiles of strawberry footrot in sheep in Karawang Regency, Indonesia. Six sheep (Ovis aries), with an average age of two years and exhibiting similar signs of strawberry footrot, were sampled from community farms in the region. Blood samples and exudate swabs from scab lesions on the feet and udder were collected in August 2024 for analysis. Hematological testing and bacterial isolation using blood agar, gram staining, fermentation, and biochemical tests were performed. The hematologic results indicated thrombocytosis, macrocytic normochromic anemia, and leukocytosis in the sheep. All samples exhibited beta hemolysis zones on blood agar and were gram-positive, coccus-shaped bacteria with a railroad appearance. Biochemical tests were positive for catalase, negative for indole, negative for Voges-Proskauer (VP), and showed the ability to ferment glucose and maltose. Based on clinical signs, hematological findings, and bacterial isolation, D. congolensis was confirmed as the causative agent of strawberry footrot in sheep in Karawang Regency, Indonesia.