TERMINOLOGY
The terminology of MPPD has been inconsistent and problematic.
‘Oral necrobacillosis’ implies Fusobacterium necro- phorum (Fn) as the sole aetiological agent. Fn possesses virulence factors that promote necrotising disease and it is frequently identified in MPPD.
However, there is also evidence to suggest Fn is not necessary or sufficient to cause MPPD (Antiabong et al. 2013b; Antiabong et al. 2013c). Such an aetiologically narrow term does not reflect the multifactorial and complex polymicrobial nature of the disease.The term ‘lumpy jaw’ is widely used and understood to be a disease of the teeth and associated orofacial structures in macropods. In other species it generally has a narrow definition, often used synonymously with actinomycosis. As a descriptive term, it does not capture the nature and full spectrum of periodontal inflammatory disease in macropods and has not been defined consistently (Fagan et al. 2005). It is also erroneously used for other processes, such as orofacial trauma, that result in facial swelling in macropods.
‘Macropod progressive periodontal disease’ is proposed to better describe the full spectrum of ‘lumpy jaw’ disease in macropods.
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