Methods of controlling
Clostridium perfringens
“an overview”
C D Parker
Slate Hall Veterinary Practice
Necrotic enteritis
Necrotic enteritis
Enteritis
Pododermatitis
assay levels
stocking density
Gumboro
CAV
resistance
vitamins/
trace-elements
wheat
enzymes
Grist
Feed factors
adenoviruses
IB variant
coccidiosis
Immunosuppression
Necrotic enteritis
fishmeal
Physical factors
Disease of the
intestine
Antimicrobial activity
nutrient density
Contamination?
litter
digestive enhancer
chemical
ionophore
Methods of controlling
Clostridium perfingens
• Treatment options
– Antimicrobials
• Drinking water treatment
– Amoxycillin
– Lincospectin
– Tylan
Methods of controlling
Clostridium perfingens
• Current medicinal strategies for prevention
– Antimicrobials
•
•
•
•
Digestive enhancers
Ionophore coccidiostats
Penicillins in feed
Strategic drinking water treatment
– Amoxycillin
– Lincospectin
– Tylan
vitamins/
trace-elements
wheat
enzymes
Grist
Feed factors
fishmeal
nutrient density
Contamination?
Necrotic enteritis
Necrotic Enteritis and Feed
Interactions
• Carbohydrate Source
– cereal type and quality
– enzymes
– particle size(Grist)
Ferket, 1996
Corn/Wheat and Necrotic
Enteritis
35
28.9d
42 day mortality (%)
30
25
18.1c
20
15
12.6b
10
5
2.9a
0
Corn
hammer
3.4a
Wheat
roller
Wheat
hammer
Corn (H)
Wheat (R)
Corn(H)
Wheat (H)
Branton and Rees, 1986
Corn/Wheat/Rye and Barley and
Necrotic Enteritis
30
27b
27b
27b
Wheat
Barley
Rye
42 day mortality (%)
25
20
15
10
5
0a
0
Corn
Riddell and Kong, 1992
Bacterial counts
Reducing viscosity means less clostridial
proliferation
9
8
7
6
5
Proximal
Distal
Control
CMC
4
3
2
1
0
Clostridium spp.
Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)
added to increase viscosity
Clostridium spp.
Smits, 1996
Necrotic Enteritis and Feed
Interactions
• Protein source
– fishmeal
• biogenic amines, histamine, tyramine
– poorly digested protein (feather meal)
– inadequately cooked protein (soyabean meal)
• Other factors
– mycotoxins
• tricothecene
• aflatoxin - immunosuppression
– excessively high copper/zinc levels
– oxidised fat
• Diet concentration
Ferket, 1996
Necrotic Enteritis and Feed
Interactions
• Protein source
– Fishmeal
• Biogenic amines
– gut damage
– Poor quality protein
– Under or overcooked protein
• Substrates for proteolytic bacteria in the lower gut
• Favour the Clostridial spp
Necrotic Enteritis and Feed
Interactions
• Other feed factors
– mycotoxins
• tricothecene
– gut damage
• Aflatoxin
– immunosuppression
– oxidised fat
Necrotic Enteritis and Feed
Interactions
• Feed management and gut fill
– Feeder breakdowns
– Feeding and lighting programs
– Whole wheat feeding
resistance
adenoviruses
IB variant
Necrotic enteritis
coccidiosis
Disease of the
intestine
Intestinal Health
• Intestinal damage favors Clostridial growth
– Coccidiosis
– Gut trophic virus
– Biogenic amines
Necrotic Enteritis and
Coccidiosis
32
35
42 day mortality (%)
30
25
20
15
11
10
5
0
0
Negative control
Eimeria only
0
P = 0.001
CP only
EA +CP
Shane et al, 1985
Necrotic enteritis
Intestinal Health
• Critical to the control of NE to have good
intestinal health
– Coccidiosis control
• Effective coccidiostats
• Good inter crop hygiene
• Adequate turn around times
– Effective vaccination programs
• Prevent gut trophic viruses
Reducing the Clostridial
challenge
• Site challenge
– Terminal hygiene
– Turn around time
• Intestinal clostridial levels
– Preventing the establishment of Clostridia
– Dietary management
– Other methods novel products
Novel products
• Probiotics
• A specific living culture ( Lactobacillus )
– favors the establishment of an intestinal
population of beneficial organisms
– inhibit pathogen multiplication ( bacteriocin )
– stimulate immune function
– reduce cell wall damage
• Continuous supply in feed
Novel products
• Competitive exclusion
• Broad spectrum culture of non pathogenic
microflora
– promotes the development of beneficial
population of microflora in the young bird
( ‘ seeding the gut ‘)
– colonization of the gut wall
– prevent pathogenic bacteria becoming
established
Novel products
• Nucleotides
• Ascogen biological mixture of nucleotides,
metabolites and yeast
– probiotic effect
– stimulation of Lactobacilli
• Continuous administration in feed
Novel products
• Oligosaccharides Biomoss
• Mannose Oligosaccharides
– complex with pathogenic bacteria binding sites
– stimulate immune response
– enhance macrophage activity
• Fructose Oligosaccharides
– favour growth of Lactobacilli & Bifidobacteria
– inhibit growth of pathogenic ( gram -ve )
bacteria
Organic Acids
• Propionic/Formic acids or salts
• Control microbial status of feed
– antimicrobial
– gut pH effect
• improved enzyme activity
• limited detrimental effect on gut microflora
• reduced binding of pathogens to gut wall
Novel Products
• Plant extracts
• Yucca
– reduces ammonia
production
– antiprotozoal activity
– reduced gut cell wall
damage
– reduced opportunity
for development of
pathogenic bacteria
• Plant extracts
• Sanguinaria
– stimulates liver &
digestive function
– improved digestibility
– improved gut microbial
status
Novel products
• Snake oils
• Essential Oils
– antimicrobial ?
– enhance gut function
– promote development
of beneficial gut
microflora
Novel products
•
•
•
•
•
Variety of products coming onto the market
No licensing required
Wide ranging claims
Not independently assessed
Need careful evaluation
Methods of controlling
Clostridium perfingens
• Conclusions
– Diet has a major impact on gut flora and the
development of enteritis
– Intestinal health is a major factor in the
development of NE
– Effective hygiene
– Rapid therapy is important to the outcome of
clinical episodes
– New products need careful evaluation
Methods of controlling
Clostridium perfingens