Tyzzer's Disease
Description
Tyzzer's disease is an acute, highly fatal bacterial infection that is seen in a wide range of animals. It most commonly affects foals and laboratory animals as well as dogs, cats and calves. Foals are usually affected individually in sporadic cases whereas outbreaks of disease occur in rodents and rabbits. The bacteria that causes the disease is Clostridium piliforme, a gram negative spore-forming intracellular bacterium.
The aetiology of the disease is poorly understood. Infection most likely results from oral exposure; possible mechanisms include ingestion of spore-forming faeces or contact with carrier animals.
Clinical signs
The disease in rabbits and rodents is usually characterised by diarrhoea, unkempt coat, depression and sudden death. Foals tend to be infected between one and six weeks of age. The disease is an acute septicaemia hepatitis
- initial intestinal lesions can be hard to find at post mortem examination