<i>Clostridium perfringens</i>Type A Enteritis in Blue and Yellow Macaw (<i>Ara ararauna</i>)

Guimarães, Marta Brito; Torres, Luciana Neves; Mesquita, R. G; Ampuero, Fernanda; Cunha, Marcos Paulo Vieira; Ferreira, Tiago Osório; Ferreira, Antônio José Piantino; Catão‐Dias, José Luiz; Moreno, Andréa Micke; Knöbl, Terezinha

doi:10.1637/10855-043014-case.1

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…C. perfringens has been linked to enteritis in multiple mammal and bird species [34,39,[41][42][43][44], including in lorikeets and other psittacines [5,32,33,[45][46][47]. In this study, young lorikeets (< 2 years old) were more likely to develop clostridial enteritis.…”

Section: Demographics Of Lorikeet Enteritismentioning

confidence: 74%

“…While several clostridial species are considered normal flora in some avian species including poultry, in psittacines, clostridial species are rarely found in the intestines of healthy birds, and taxa such as C. colinum and C. perfringens are considered pathogenic [4,31,59,68,69]. Previous studies have linked the C. perfringens beta-2 toxin (cpb2) identified in CZA birds with enteritis in psittacines [33], storks [70], pigs [71], and poultry [72]; however, the cpb2 toxin has also been identified in healthy individuals (poultry, horses, dogs, and other avian species) and its role enteritis is not clear [73][74][75][76][77]. C. colinum-linked enteritis has only been reported in avian species, but virulence factors, toxins, and disease pathogenesis for C. colinum have yet to be fully elucidated [59].…”

Section: Lorikeet Enteritis: Microbes To Hostmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent research has further revealed that the gut microbiota influences susceptibility to enteropathogens. For example, Clostridium, Campylobacter, and Salmonella species, all of which are common agents in avian enteritis [1,2,5,[29][30][31][32][33][34], are adept at invading dysbiotic (or already disrupted) microbial communities but not at colonizing healthy microbial communities [35][36][37].…”

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Gut microbiota and age shape susceptibility to clostridial enteritis in lorikeets under human care

Minich

Madden

Navarro

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background Enteritis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in lorikeets that can be challenging to diagnose and treat. In this study, we examine gut microbiota in two lorikeet flocks with enteritis (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium [CZA]; Denver Zoo [DZ]). Since 2012, the CZA flock has experienced repeated outbreaks of enteritis despite extensive diet, husbandry, and clinical modifications. In 2018, both CZA and DZ observed a spike in enteritis. Recent research has revealed that the gut microbiota can influence susceptibility to enteropathogens. We hypothesized that a dysbiosis, or alteration in the gut microbial community, was making some lorikeets more susceptible to enteritis, and our goal was to characterize this dysbiosis and determine the features that predicted susceptibility. Results We employed 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the cloacal microbiota in lorikeets (CZA n = 67, DZ n = 24) over time. We compared the microbiota of healthy lorikeets, to lorikeets with enteritis, and lorikeets susceptible to enteritis, with susceptible being defined as healthy birds that subsequently developed enteritis. Based on sequencing data, culture, and toxin gene detection in intestinal contents, we identified Clostridium perfringens type A (CZA and DZ) and C. colinum (CZA only) at increased relative abundances in birds with enteritis. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry further identified the presence of gram-positive bacilli and C. perfringens, respectively, in the necrotizing intestinal lesions. Finally, using Random Forests and LASSO models, we identified several features (young age and the presence of Rhodococcus fascians and Pseudomonas umsongensis) associated with susceptibility to clostridial enteritis. Conclusions We identified C. perfringens type A and C. colinum associated with lorikeet necrohemorrhagic enteritis at CZA and DZ. Susceptibility testing of isolates lead to an updated clinical treatment plan which ultimately resolved the outbreaks at both institutions. This work provides a foundation for understanding gut microbiota features that are permissive to clostridial colonization and host factors (e.g. age, prior infection) that shape responses to infection.

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Section: Demographics Of Lorikeet Enteritismentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Lorikeet Enteritis: Microbes To Hostmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gut microbiota and age shape susceptibility to clostridial enteritis in lorikeets under human care

Minich

Madden

Navarro

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…There are increasing reports of clostridial diseases in wild or captive wild birds, with Tyzzer's disease (Clostridium piliforme) (4,5), ulcerative enteritis/quail disease (C. colinum) (6), C. tertium-associated enteritis plus C. perfringens-associated enteritis (7,8) and necrotic enterocolitis (9) being identified in lorikeet or lory species. Two sources have recognized a novel disease within rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus haematodus) (10) and red-flanked lorikeets (Chamorsyna placentis) (11), characterized macroscopically by thickened crops with nodular-to-diffuse mucosal nodules and gas-filled bubbles, and histologically as emphysematous ingluvitis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nectarivorous Bird Emphysematous Ingluvitis (NBEI): A Novel Disease in Loriinae Birds Associated With Clostridium perfringens Infection

et al. 2020

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A retrospective study revealed ten cases of emphysematous ingluvitis in Loriinae birds from two zoological collections between 2009 and 2020. Common clinical features were sudden death with gas distention of the crop, subcutaneous cervical emphysema and poor body condition, but also included collapse, hypothermia and abandonment. Macroscopic examination revealed moderate crop enlargement, distention and thickening with minimal intraluminal content, and moderate to severe submucosal to transmural gas-filled cysts (emphysema). Histopathology identified widespread transmural multifocal to coalescing empty pseudo-cystic cavities with lytic necrosis, pyo-/granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates, epithelial ulceration, parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, epithelial ballooning degeneration, and occasional intralesional rod-shaped bacteria. The lesion may have impaired the birds' ability to ingest food, resulting in suboptimal body condition. Necrotizing to granulomatous aspiration pneumonia was also a feature in some cases. Anaerobic bacterial culture of four crops identified Clostridium perfringens with associated toxin genes for alpha and occasionally beta2 toxin (cpa and cpb2 genes respectively), by PCR analysis of bacterial isolates cultured from fresh or frozen tissue. C. perfringens was identified as the common etiological agent of emphysematous ingluvitis in crop and/or liver (six out of ten birds), and type A was confirmed in five birds. C. perfringens was not detected in the crop nor liver of two unaffected Loriinae birds. This is the first publication that characterizes nectarivorous bird emphysematous ingluvitis (NBEI), attributes C. perfringens as an etiological agent, and highlights this novel disease as an important cause of death in Loriinae birds, particularly in nestling and fledgling stage of development, but also in older lorikeets and lories.

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“…16 Our knowledge about C. perfringens-associated enteritis in exotic birds is limited. 2,3,5,6,10,12 It has previously been suggested that this microorganism may cause a NE-like disease in both free-ranging and captive lorikeets. 6,10 Between 2000 and 2018, 24 of the 67 (36%) lorikeets necropsied at the Institute of Animal Pathology of the University of Bern were diagnosed with NE-like disease, which represented the most frequent diagnosis.…”

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confidence: 99%

Clostridium perfringens–Associated Necrotic Enteritis-Like Disease in Coconut Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus)

et al. 2020

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Several outbreaks of necrotic enteritis-like disease in lorikeets, from which Clostridium perfringens was consistently isolated, are described. All lorikeets had acute, segmental, or multifocal fibrinonecrotizing inflammatory lesions in the small and/or the large intestine, with intralesional gram-positive rods. The gene encoding C. perfringens alpha toxin was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in 20 out of 24 affected lorikeets (83%), but it was not amplified from samples of any of 10 control lorikeets ( P < .0001). The second most prevalent C. perfringens toxin gene detected was the beta toxin gene, which was found in FFPE from 7 out of 24 affected lorikeets (29%). The other toxin genes were detected inconsistently and in a relatively low number of samples. These cases seem to be associated with C. perfringens, although the specific type involved could not be determined.

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Clostridium perfringensType A Enteritis in Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Gut microbiota and age shape susceptibility to clostridial enteritis in lorikeets under human care

Gut microbiota and age shape susceptibility to clostridial enteritis in lorikeets under human care

Nectarivorous Bird Emphysematous Ingluvitis (NBEI): A Novel Disease in Loriinae Birds Associated With Clostridium perfringens Infection

Clostridium perfringens–Associated Necrotic Enteritis-Like Disease in Coconut Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus)

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