Periodontal diseases (PD) involve inflammation and/or necrosis of the tooth and the adjoining tissues of the oral cavity and are largely due to polymicrobial aetiology associated with ecological changes in the microbial community. Most polymicrobial diseases are difficult to manage and known to re-occur after vaccination or treatment, leading to continuous ill-health, extinction and economic loss.
To understand the aetiology of periodontal diseases in macropods, culture dependent methods have largely been employed, with limitations due to the great-plate-count anomaly coupled with the inability to directly associate isolated microbes with disease or healthy condition. This brings to question, the identification of the major aetiological agents of the disease; the choice of immuno-protective antigens for vaccine design; and the choice of appropriate antimicrobial agent(s) for the effective management of the disease.
In this study, molecular ecological analysis and DNA barcoding were employed to determine the associated aetiological agents in the pathogenesis of oral necrobacillosis (ON) from an ecological perspective. ON is a chronic form of periodontal disease which has been recognized as one of the most significant diseases responsible for most ill-health and death in macropods. Using in vitro assays and statistical analysis, the microbial ecological changes/dynamics and bacteria-fungal interactions associated with periodontal health and PD in macropods were examined. The impact on vaccine design and therapeutics are discussed.