Changes

===Laboratory Tests===

===Laboratory Tests===

Positive ELISA rtest results for identification of toxins in intestinal contents or peritoneal fluid support, but do not confirm the diagnosis because iimmune animals may have high concentrations of toxin but not suffer from its effects.

Intestinal contents or pertioneal fluid may be collected post-mortem and submitted for an ELISA test to identify clostridial exotoxins. A positive result supports a diagnosis of enterotoxaemia but does not confirm it: animals with immunity to ''Clostridium perfringens'' may have high concentrations of toxin with suffering from its effects.

 

Intestinal smears and scrapings readily reveal gram-positive rods^{sargison, watt}. Culture of intestinal contents can yield almost pure growths of ''C. perfringens''^watt, but this is again supportive rather than diagnostic^sargison.

Cl wet1ihil type C.) The causal organism is readily demonstrated

 

sargison:Numerous Gram-positixe rods are

present in smears from intestinal scrapings. Almost pure

anaerobic cultures of C pe):frili,genis from intestinal coIntents,

fiom intestinal conitents or peritoneal fluid support, but

do not confirm, the diagnosis.

===Pathology===

===Pathology===