title: Prevalence of netF-positive Clostridium perfringens in foals in southwestern Ontario.
abstract: NetF-producing Clostridium perfringens have recently been identified as a cause of necrotizing enteritis in neonatal foals, but little is known about its prevalence in clinically normal foals. Foals (n = 88) ranging in age from < 1 wk to 2 to 4 mo (median age 2 to 4 wk) on 8 horse-breeding farms in Ontario were examined on 1 or 2 occasions for the presence of C. perfringens. Of the foals that tested positive, 5 isolates (n = 675) were examined for the netF and enterotoxin (cpe) genes. Colonization by C. perfringens was most marked in foals < 1 wk of age [4.85 ± 2.70 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)] and declined markedly over time (1.23 ± 1.06 log10 CFU at 1 to 2 mo of age). Only 2 isolates possessed the cpe gene and none possessed netF. We concluded that netF-positive C. perfringens does not colonize young foals with any detectable frequency in Ontario and this organism is not likely to be adapted to the intestine of the horse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: Iman Mehdizadeh
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Gohari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: Valeria R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Parreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrahams
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: Henry R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Staempfli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli).
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Prescott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002353:Carrier State / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology*; D009864:Ontario
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins