| Summary: | <i>Trueperella pyogenes</i> is a Gram-positive bacterium causing purulent infections in many animal species, including the European bison. However, the data about the virulence and genetic relationships of <i>T. pyogenes</i> strains isolated from these wild ruminants are strongly limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of <i>T. pyogenes</i> infections in the European bison, and to evaluate the genetic diversity of isolates from these animals. In the time span of 10 years, 328 European bison from 16 different locations were examined. The standard bacteriological methods were used for <i>T. pyogenes</i> isolation and identification from clinical specimens obtained from urogenital tract infections and abscesses of different locations. The presence of genes encoding known virulence factors was investigated by PCR, and the genetic diversity of <i>T. pyogenes</i> strains was examined with the RAPD-PCR method. The prevalence of <i>T. pyogenes</i> infections was 14.6%, and the pathogen was isolated from both female (47.9% of isolates) and male (52.1% of isolates) European bison. It should be highlighted that a considerable number of strains were isolated from the prepuce and penis infections. Therefore, the role of <i>T. pyogenes</i> in the pathogenesis of <i>balanoposthitis</i> should be seriously perceived. A total of 39 <i>T. pyogenes</i> strains were subjected to genetic characterization. All studied strains carried the <i>plo</i> gene, while the <i>nanH</i> (25.6%), <i>nanP</i> (23.1%), <i>cbpA</i> (7.7%), <i>fimA</i> (97.4%), <i>fimC</i> (69.2%), <i>fimE</i> (92.3%) and <i>fimG</i> (15.4%) genes were present with a variable frequency among the tested strains. The virulence genotype <i>plo</i>/<i>fimA</i>/<i>fimC</i>/<i>fimE</i> was dominant. RAPD-PCR typing showed a high level of genetic diversity among European bison <i>T. pyogenes</i> strains, and a total of 31 different RAPD profiles were distinguished. In a few cases, the same RAPD profile was found in strains obtained from animals living in the same area. This study provided the first data about the prevalence and genetic relationships of <i>T. pyogenes</i> in the Polish population of European bison. However, further epidemiological investigations are needed to understand the routes of transmission and dissemination of the pathogen in these wild animals.
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