[The occurrence and significance of enterotoxin-producing Clostridium perfringens strains in the intestinal tract of horses].

This research investigates the frequency and implications of Clostridium perfringens, a pathogenic bacterium, in the digestive system of horses, both healthy and those experiencing intestinal illness. The results do not support a link between the presence of toxin-producing Clostridium perfringens strains and the development of intestinal diseases in horses.

Methodology of the Study

• 175 samples were collected, comprising 100 faecal samples from clinically healthy horses, 50 samples from horses showing symptoms of enteropathy (specifically diarrhoea), and gastrointestinal tissues from 25 horses that had died due to intestinal diseases.
• These samples were studied for the presence of Clostridium perfringens.
• Particular attention was paid to the bacteria’s ability to produce spores and enterotoxin, a substance harmful to the intestinal lining.

Findings and Significance

• 22% of the healthy horses, 32% of the horses with diarrhoea, and 52% of the deceased horses carried Clostridium perfringens in their digestive tract.
• Two samples from diarrhoeal horses carried a significant number of the bacteria (approximately 1 million cells per gram of faeces).
• The age of the horses had no effect on the presence of this bacterium.
• Interestingly, horses primarily fed on grass silage (fermented grass) showed a higher frequency of Clostridium perfringens.
• Out of the 36 samples from horses with diarrhoea, only one sample showed the presence of the enterotoxin produced by the bacteria.
• Of the 54 isolated strains of Clostridium perfringens, 98% could form spores (a survival mechanism of bacteria), but none showed enterotoxin production.
• Further testing carried out on four ponies did not support the theory that toxin-producing strains of the bacterium could colonise and persist in the intestine.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that, contrary to previous suspicions, enterotoxin-producing strains of Clostridium perfringens may not play a significant role in the development of enteropathy in horses. Future research may need to investigate other potential causes for this disease condition.