Enterotoxigenic clostridium Flashcards
What is C. perfringens?
- Gram +
- Spore formin- subterminal
- Rod shaped
- With double zone hemolysis
Where is C. perfringes found?
What are the types of C. perfringens and what toxins do they produce?
- A* - alpha toxins
- B - Alpha, Beta, Epsilon toxins
- C* - Alpha, Beta toxins
- D* - Alpha, Epsilon toxins
- E - Alpha, Iota toxins
- F - Alpha, CP Enterotoxin
- G* - Alpha, Necrotic enteritis beta-like toxin (NetB)
What is the activity and effects of Alpha toxin in C. perfringens?
- A zinc metallophospholipase
- Hemolytic and cytotoxic
What is the activity and effects of Beta toxin ot C. perfringens?
- A pore-forming toxin
- Induces inflammation and necrosis in the intestine
What is the activity and effects of Epsilon toxin of C. perfringens?
- Secreted as a prototoxin and requires activation by pepsin and chymotrpsin in the gut
- Third most potent clostridial toxin
- A pore-forming toxin, increases intestinal permeability
What is the activity and effects of Iota toxin ot C. perfringens?
- A binary toxin because it has two polypeptides, named IA and IB
- IA: ADP-ribosylates of skeletal muscle and nonmuscle actins causing cell death
- IB: Mediates binding to cells
What is the activity and effects of CPE toxin ot C. perfringens?
- A pore-foring cytotoxin
- Produced by all types, except B.
- Induces cell death of enterocytes and fluid secretion
What is the activity and effects of NetB toxin of C. perfringens?
- A pore-forming cytotoxin.
- Lyses enterocytes
- Mostimportant toxin involved in avian necrotic enteritis
What other toxins of C. perfringens are there?
- At least 8 other exotoxins
- Gamma, Delta, Eta, Theta, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu
What is Perfringolysin (PFO)?
- Also called Theta toxin
- A pore-forming hemolysin
- Acts synergistically with alpha hemolysin
- Involved in gas gangrene
What is Enterotoxemia?
- Commonly used term to describe enteritis caused by C. perfringens
- Implies systemic spread of the toxin produced in the intestines
- In many instances the toxin effect is confined to the intestines alone
- Preferred term “Necrotic enteritis”
What diseases do type A Infections of C. perfringens cause?
- Humans - Gas Gangrene in humans and animals
- Cattle, Goats, Swine, Horse, Dogs, Minks - Necrotic enteritis (Hemorrhagic enteritis or Enterotoxemia)
- Calves - Abomasal bloat and Ulcers
- Dairy cows - Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome
- Sheep - Yellow lamb disease
- Chicken - Gagrenous Dermatitis
What diseases does a Type B infection of C. perfringes cause?
- Caused by Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon toxins
- Sheep - Lamb dysentery
- UK, Middle East, S. Africa
- Cattle, Goats - Necrotic enterits (Hemorrhagic enteritis or Enterotoxemia)
- Not common in the US
What diseases are caused by Type C infections of C. perfringens?
- Caused by Alpha and Beta toxins
- Humans - Necrotic enteritis (Pig bel)
- Sheep, Goats - Struck (Enterotoxemia) in Britain Necrotic enteritis (Enterotoxemia) in lambs and kids
- Cattle - Necrotic enteritis (Enterotoxemia) in calves
- Horses - Necrotic enteritis (Enterotoxemia) in foals
- Swine - Necrotic enteritis (Endotoxemia) in piglets
- Most common type in the US
What are Type C infections?
- Alpha Toxin: hemolytic
- Beta Toxin: Induces inflammation and necrosis in the intestines
- Most common in newborn (<1 week old)
- More common in piglets than other animals
- Acute disease
- High mortality
What are the clinical signs of Type C infections?
- Depression
- Hemorrhagic diarrhea
- Death
- Lesions: Hemorrhagic inflammation of the jejunum and ileum
- Necrosis (with gas) of the mucosa and the submucosa
What is the Pathogenesis of Type C infections?
- Generally seen in animals healthy and vigorous
- Increased feed intake
- Gut stasis
- Overgrowth of bacteria and production of toxins
- Toxin may or may not get absorbed
- Acute illness and death
What diseases are caused by Type D infections of C. perfringens?
- Sheep - Enterotoxemia (Overeating disease or Pulpy Kidney disease)
- Cattle, Goats - Necrotic enteritis (Enterotoxemia)
What diseases are caused by Type E infections of C. perfringens?
- Rabbits - Iotaenterotoxemia. Rarely in calves and lambs
What is Epsilon Toxin?
- Third most potent clostridial toxin (Botulinum, Tetanospasmin)
- Requires activation by trypson or Chymotrypsin
- Enhances intestinal permeability
- Rapid absorption of toxin
- Affects of CNS and other organs
- Responsible for perivascular edema, foci of necrosis and hemorrhages in the meninges
What diseases are caused by Type F infections of C. perfringens?
- Humans - Foodborne gastroenteritis
What diseases are caused by Type G infections of C. perfringens?
- Chickens - Necrotic enteritis
What is Yellow Lamb Disease?
- Occurs in the spring in CA and OR
- Nursing lambs
- Alpha toxin from the intestine enters blood and causes hemolysis
What are the clinical signs of Yellow Lamb Disease?
- Acute onset
- Anemia
- Dyspnea
- Hemoglobinuria
- icterus
- Lesion: Generalized icterus, red urine in the bladder, enlarged spleen
What is Abomasal Bloat and Ulcers?
- Neonatal calves, lambs, and goat kids
- Copper and/or selenium deficiencies may be predisposing factos