Diagnosing Clostridium perfringens-associated necrotic enteritis in broiler flocks by an immunoglobulin G anti-alpha-toxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
The tools available for monitoring necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens in broiler chickens have been limited, particularly for identifying subclinical disease. In this study, a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify levels of specific immunoglobulin G to C. perfringens alpha-toxin in serum from broilers. We found significantly higher antibody levels in broilers with a history of subclinical necrotic enteritis compared with a zinc-bacitracin-treated group with a low level of gut lesions. Furthermore, in 4.5-week-old commercial broiler flocks, there was an association between the occurrence of C. perfringens-associated hepatitis at slaughter and the immune response to alpha-toxin. Practical solutions for defining cut-off levels for positive serum samples at individual and flock levels are proposed, and were found to be useful on a set of samples available from flocks with different histories regarding the occurrence of C. perfringens-associated disease. This serological approach seems promising as a diagnostic tool in research and disease monitoring regarding C. perfringens-associated disease.
Lovland
Atle
A
National Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 8156 Dep, N-0033 Oslo, Norway. atle.lovland@vetinst.no
Kaldhusdal
Magne
M
Reitan
Liv Jorun
LJ
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D009336:Necrosis; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C064270:hemolytic toxin, Clostridium septicum