Enterocolitis associated with Clostridium perfringens infection in neonatal foals: 54 cases (1988-1997).

The research article discusses a study carried out on 54 neonatal foals to identify the clinical signs, physical examination findings, and outcomes associated with enterocolitis related to Clostridium perfringens infection.

Research Methods and Results

• The research was a retrospective study conducted on 54 neonatal foals suffering from enterocolitis associated with Clostridium perfringens infection.
• Most of the foals exhibited signs such as acute onset of obtunded mentation, colic, or diarrhea and developed leukopenia, neutropenia, and additional health conditions within 24 hours after admission. Notably, all these symptoms occurred in spite of the foals having high serum IgG concentrations.
• On performing abdominocentesis and abdominal radiography on some foals, the researchers found exudative peritonitis and bloating of both small and large intestines, respectively.
• Out of the 10 foals whose feces were examined cytologically, eight showed evidence of spores or gram-positive rods – indicating a Clostridium perfringens infection.
• The most frequently found strains of C perfringens were types A and C, either individually or together.
• Treatment did not significantly affect the survival rates for the majority of foals that showed a positive culture for C perfringens type C.

Clinical Outcome and Conclusions

• Out of the 54 foals, 29 (54%) that had enterocolitis associated with C perfringens died. This suggests a high mortality rate associated with C perfringens infections in neonatal foals.
• The foals that showed a culture for C perfringens had more severe sepsis, higher IgG concentrations, and higher mortality rates compared to the general hospital population of neonatal foals.
• The researchers concluded that foals less than seven days old suffering from enterocolitis because of C perfringens infections, particularly type C, have a poor prognosis.
• Additionally, the study suggests that cytological examination of feces to determine the quantity of spores and detect rods could provide early detection of C perfringens infections.
• Finally, the study emphasizes that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays, which can determine the bacterial strain, are crucial when devising preventive treatment plans.