title: Relative disease susceptibility and clostridial toxin antibody responses in three commercial broiler lines coinfected with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria maxima using an experimental model of necrotic enteritis.
abstract: Necrotic enteritis is an enteric disease of poultry resulting from infection by Clostridium perfringens with coinfection by Eimeria spp. constituting a major risk factor for disease pathogenesis. This study compared three commercial broiler chicken lines using an experimental model of necrotic enteritis. Day-old male Cobb, Ross, and Hubbard broilers were orally infected with viable C. perfringens and E. maxima and fed a high-protein diet to promote the development of experimental disease. Body weight loss, intestinal lesions, and serum antibody levels against alpha-toxin and necrotic enteritis B-like (NetB) toxin were measured as parameters of disease susceptibility and host immune response. Cobb chickens exhibited increased body weight loss compared with Ross and Hubbard breeds and greater gut lesion severity compared with Ross chickens. NetB antibody levels were greater in Cobb chickens compared with the Ross or Hubbard groups. These results suggest that Cobb chickens may be more susceptible to necrotic enteritis in the field compared with the Ross and Hubbard lines.
authors.affiliation: Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
authors.forename: Seung I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Hyun S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
authors.forename: Sung-Hyen
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Erik P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lillehoj
authors.forename: Yeong Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Dong-Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: D Hye-Young
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jeoung
authors.forename: Ji-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Chun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000502:physiology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004539:Eimeria / Q000502:physiology; D004751:Enteritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000276:immunology; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C572202:NE B-like toxin, Clostridium perfringens; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; C040649:alpha toxin, Clostridium perfringens