Foal diarrhoea between 1991 and 1994 in the United Kingdom associated withClostridium perfringens, rotavirus,Strongyloides westeriandCryptosporidiumspp.

Abstract

A case control study of foal diarrhoea in the United Kingdom was carried out over a 3-year period. Clostridium perfringens was significantly associated with foal diarrhoea (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.0), being isolated from 57% of 421 animals with diarrhoea but from only 27% of 223 healthy foals. Also, C. perfringens was significantly associated with fatal diarrhoea (OR = 4.5). About half of diarrhoea with a fatal outcome was attributable to this organism. The other pathogens significantly associated with diarrhoea were rotavirus (OR = 5.6), Cryptosporidium spp. (OR = 3.2) and the nematode Strongyloides westeri, which was significant only when present in large numbers (> 2000 eggs/g of faeces: OR = 6.1). Salmonella spp. (OR = 14.2) and Cryptosporidium spp. (OR = 3.0) were the only other pathogens associated with fatal illness. Overall, C. perfringens, rotavirus, and large numbers of Cryptosporidium spp. or S. westeri were isolated from 80% of foals with diarrhoea. Thermophilic Campylobacter spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli and other parasites were not associated with diarrhoea. Carriage of C. perfringens, rotavirus and Cryptosporidium spp. was significantly greater in healthy foals in contact with cases of diarrhoea than in foals that were not in contact with diarrhoea (P < 0.05). There were no statistical interactions between any of the pathogens associated with diarrhoea although separate cases from one location often involved more than one pathogen.

The use of Probiotics in Horses with Gastrointestinal Disease

“…They are most commonly caused by Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp, rotaviral infections, or can be multifactorial, but the etiology of the disease is undetermined in most of the cases (Netherwood et al, 1996;1998;Frederick et al, 2009). Hence, they represent an interesting research subject for probiotic effectiveness.…”

Clostridium perfringens: a review of the disease in pigs, horses and broiler chickens

“…It is well known that healthy equines can harbor C. perfringens type A strains, but studies have shown that diarrheic animals are more likely to be positive for the isolation of this microorganism than healthy horses and foals Ciência Rural, v.45, n.6, jun, 2015. (NETHERWOOD et al, 1996;SCHOSTER et al, 2012;SILVA et al, 2013a). Additionally, the cpb2 gene was found to be more common in horses with intestinal disorders compared with healthy animals or those that were hospitalized for reasons other than intestinal problems (GIBERT et al, 1998;HERHOLZ et al, 1999).…”

Diagnosis and treatment of non-infectious and infectious foal diarrhoea

“…Occasionally, disease in younger and older foals has been reported (Browning et al 1991, Conner andDarlington 1980). The virus is highly contagious and frequently involves multiple animals in a herd (Conner and Darlington 1980); in-contact animals may become subclinically infected (Netherwood et al 1996). The virus has a specific tropism for the mature enterocytes located at the villus tip of the jejunal and ileal mucosa.…”

“…Clinical signs in these cases reflect the severity of the underlying disease and include colic, alterations in haemogram, electrolyte and acid base status, abnormal peritoneal fluid and intestinal mural emphysema visible on abdominal radiographs or ultrasonographic examination (East et al 1998). However, a large survey including foals less than 1 year of age in the UK indicated that, although the organism was significantly associated with approximately 50% of fatal cases recorded, overall fatality was low and most C. perfringens-associated diarrhoea cases were not severe (Netherwood et al 1998b, Netherwood et al 1996. It is unknown whether this discrepancy indicates an increased pathogenicity of the organism in neonates, as suspected for C. perfringens type C, or whether its high prevalence in normal neonatal foals may simply make it the most readily isolated and therefore most frequently incriminated organism in severe cases of neonatal enterocolitis.…”