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→Diagnosis
==Diagnosis==
==Diagnosis==
merck A presumptive diagnosis of enterotoxemia is based on sudden, convulsive deaths in lambs on carbohydrate-rich feed. Smears of intestinal contents reveal many short, thick gram-positive rods. Confirmation requires demonstration of ɛ toxin in the small-intestinal fluid. Fluid, not ingesta, should be collected in a sterile vial within a few hours after death and sent under refrigeration to a laboratory for toxin identification. Chloroform, added at 1 drop for each 10 mL of intestinal fluid, will stabilize any toxin present. Although immunologic tests have been developed to replace the traditional mouse assay for detection of toxin, they are less sensitive than the mouse assay. A PCR protocol for detection of the gene for ɛ toxin is effective in identifying isolates as either type B or D.
* Location of the organism in the gut contents is not helpful, since it is always present (as a commensal).
* Location of the organism in the gut contents is not helpful, since it is always present (as a commensal).