title: Pathology of Clostridium perfringens type C enterotoxemia in horses.
abstract: Clostridium perfringens type C is an important cause of enteritis and enterocolitis in foals and occasionally in adult horses. The disease is a classic enterotoxemia, and the enteric lesions and systemic effects are caused primarily by beta toxin, 1 of 2 major toxins produced by C. perfringens type C. Until now, only sporadic cases of C. perfringens type C equine enterotoxemia have been reported. We present a comprehensive description of the lesions in 8 confirmed cases of type C enterotoxemia in foals and adult horses. Grossly, multifocal to segmental hemorrhage and thickening of the intestinal wall were most common in the small intestine, although the colon and cecum were also frequently affected. All horses had variable amounts of fluid, often hemorrhagic intestinal contents. The most characteristic microscopic lesion was necrotizing or necrohemorrhagic enteritis, with mucosal and/or submucosal thrombosis. Numerous gram-positive rods were occasionally seen in affected mucosa. A definitive diagnosis of C. perfringens type C enterotoxemia in all 8 cases was based on the clinical history, gross and histologic lesions, and detection of the beta toxin in intestinal contents.
authors.affiliation: California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, University of California, Davis, 105 West Central Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92408, USA.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Diab
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinde
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shahriar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Odani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anthenill
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Songer
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Uzal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004767:Enterotoxemia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C031884:CPB protein, Clostridium perfringens