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| Enterotoxaemia due to ''Clostridium perfringens'' type B causes severe enteritis and dysentery with a high mortality in young lambs and also calves, pigs, and foals. The β toxin highly necrotizing and lethal β toxin that is responsible for severe intestinal damage. This toxin is sensitive to proteolytic enzymes, and disease is associated with inhibition of proteolysis in the intestine. Sow colostrum, which contains a trypsin inhibitor, has been suggested as a factor in the susceptibility of young piglets. Type C also causes enterotoxemia in adult cattle, sheep, and goats. The diseases are listed below, categorized as to cause and host. C perfringens also has been associated with hemorrhagic enteritis in dogs. (See also intestinal diseases in horses, Intestinal Diseases in Horses and Foals: Introduction.) | | Enterotoxaemia due to ''Clostridium perfringens'' type B causes severe enteritis and dysentery with a high mortality in young lambs and also calves, pigs, and foals. The β toxin highly necrotizing and lethal β toxin that is responsible for severe intestinal damage. This toxin is sensitive to proteolytic enzymes, and disease is associated with inhibition of proteolysis in the intestine. Sow colostrum, which contains a trypsin inhibitor, has been suggested as a factor in the susceptibility of young piglets. Type C also causes enterotoxemia in adult cattle, sheep, and goats. The diseases are listed below, categorized as to cause and host. C perfringens also has been associated with hemorrhagic enteritis in dogs. (See also intestinal diseases in horses, Intestinal Diseases in Horses and Foals: Introduction.) |
| Lamb dysentery: type B in lambs up to 3 wk of age | | Lamb dysentery: type B in lambs up to 3 wk of age |
| + | |
| + | Laimb dysentery is aI peracute and fatal disease of youLng |
| + | lamiibs caused by the beta and epsilon toxins of Clost- |
| + | i'ridiiio peJri-ingens type B. Over the past 20 years, the |
| + | disease had become rai-e due to the svidespread LIse of |
| + | clostr-idial xvaccines. Howverer, lamb dysenltery is becom-ing a conimon problem again due to reductions in ewe |
| + | vaccinations in many flocks. Affected lambs are usually |
| + | less than twvo vxeeks old and most commonly one to three |
| + | days old. The majority of cases are characterised by the |
| + | sporadic sudden death of stronger single lambs which |
| + | had been consuming the largest quantities of milk. |
| + | Outbreaks of lamb dysentery can occur during cold and |
| + | wvet springs wvhen lambing ewes are confined to small |
| + | sheltered areas and conditions become unhygienic. In |
| + | extreme cases, losses of between 20 and 30 per cent of |
| + | animals in a flock have been reported. |
| + | Outbreaks of lamb dysentery are initially characterised |
| + | by the sudden death of young lambs, but slower |
| + | onset disease, manifesting as acute abdominal pain and |
| + | non-specific nervous signs, is sometimes seen in older, |
| + | two- to three-\veek-old lambs. Faeces may be semi-fluid |
| + | and blood stained although, in most cases, they are normal |
| + | due to the rapid course of the disease. |
| + | The diagnosis of lamb dysentery depenids on postmortemii |
| + | findings. At postmortem examination. localised |
| + | areaLs ot the intestinies appear dark red and distended, |
| + | with ulceration otl the mucosa and serous, blood-stained |
| + | peritoneal fluid. The liver may be pale and friable and |
| + | the kidnieys enlarged. Numerous Gram-positixe rods are |
| + | present in smears from intestinal scrapings. Almost pure |
| + | anaerobic cultures of C pe):frili,genis from intestinal coIntents, |
| + | and positixe beta and epsiloni toxin ELISA results |
| + | fiom intestinal conitents or peritoneal fluid support, but |
| + | do not confirm, the diagnosis. |
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| ==Signalment== | | ==Signalment== |