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Pig

The role of Clostridium perfringens in neonatal diarrhoea and the importance of effective control

02 May 2022
Clinical
10 mins read
02 May 2022
Volume 27 · Issue 3
Figure 4. Clostridium perfringens colonies culture on blood agar.
Figure 4. Clostridium perfringens colonies culture on blood agar.

Abstract

Neonatal diarrhoea is a large economic and animal health problem on pig farms worldwide. There are numerous factors involved in the disease, one of which being the pathogen Clostridum perfringens. Various types of Clostridium perfringens exist, including Type A (CpA), which produces toxins that have pathogenic effects on the pig. The alpha (CPA) and beta2 toxins (CPB2) are suggested as contributors to the virulence of the pathogen as they result in damage and changes to the gastrointestinal tract of the pig. Therefore, performance losses can be observed as well as the clinical diarrhoea seen on farm. It is important that this pathogen is controlled, which can be achieved via implementation of good hygiene and management practices, including a vaccination protocol for breeding stock. Correct diagnosis of the pathogen, types and toxins will ensure that the correct vaccine is put onto the farm, therefore providing the best protection. Vaccination has been shown to be effective in reducing the impact of Clostridium perfringens on farm.

The occurrence of neonatal diarrhoea can be contributed to by numerous factors and involve a number of pathogens including Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens (Kongsted et al, 2018). Neonatal diarrhoea causes significant economic losses and increased use of antimicrobials in the farrowing house. Estimated costs for herds affected by neonatal diarrhoea with mortality of 10% can be as high as €134 per sow per year. Together with swine dysentery, neonatal diarrhoea is the most expensive enteric issue on pig farms (Sjölund et al, 2014). C. perfringens Type A (CpA) has been recognised in numerous studies as one of the most important pathogens in causing neonatal diarrhoea and therefore focus has been placed on effective control of the bacteria. Correct diagnosis can be complex and require a combination of methods, but it is important to get this right to ensure the correct control methods can be implemented. Vaccination is one control method that will be discussed in this review, with studies showing good efficacy of vaccines containing both the alpha (CPA) and beta2 (CPB2) toxins (Fricke et al, 2021), which are suggested to play a role in the virulence of CpA (Waters et al, 2003).

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neonatal diarrhoea
clostridium
control
vaccination