Prevalence of netF-positive Clostridium perfringens in foals in southwestern Ontario.
Abigail Finleya, Iman Mehdizadeh Goharia, Valeria R. Parreiraa, Miranda Abrahamsa, Henry R. Staempflia, John F. Prescotta
- aDepartment of Pathobiology (Finley, Mehdizadeh Gohari, Parreira, Prescott), Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Abrahams, Staempfli)
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Abstract
NetF-producing Clostridium perfringens have recently been identified as a cause of necrotizing enteritis in neonatal foals, but little is known about its prevalence in clinically normal foals. Foals (n = 88) ranging in age from < 1 wk to 2 to 4 mo (median age 2 to 4 wk) on 8 horse-breeding farms in Ontario were examined on 1 or 2 occasions for the presence of C. perfringens. Of the foals that tested positive, 5 isolates (n = 675) were examined for the netF and enterotoxin (cpe) genes. Colonization by C. perfringens was most marked in foals < 1 wk of age [4.85 ± 2.70 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)] and declined markedly over time (1.23 ± 1.06 log10 CFU at 1 to 2 mo of age). Only 2 isolates possessed the cpe gene and none possessed netF. We concluded that netF-positive C. perfringens does not colonize young foals with any detectable frequency in Ontario and this organism is not likely to be adapted to the intestine of the horse.
TL;DRIt is concluded that netF-positive C. perfringens does not colonize young foals with any detectable frequency in Ontario and this organism is not likely to be adapted to the intestine of the horse. (Semantic Scholar)