Abstract
Diarrhea is a major clinical problem affecting foals and horses at different ages which can be fatal and cause great economic losses particularly in foals. The aim of this study was to identify Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile involved in enteric infections and the associated virulence factors in diarrheic foals and horses. Thirty fecal samples were examined for identification of C.perfringens and C.difficile (bacteriological culturing, microscopical examination, count and molecular detection). C.perfringens was isolated from young horses less than 6 months age in an incidence of 46.7% with count ranged from 1.3×104- 5.6×108 cfu/g, while from horses of 6 months to one year, it was 20% with count ranged from 1.7×104- 1.9×106 cfu/g, on the other hand, 13.3% with count ranged from 1.4×103- 2.5×104 cfu/g was the incidence of C.perfringens in horse more than one year. C. difficile was not detected in all examined samples. C.perfringens type A was the most predominant type detected in an incidence of 58.3% then type B (4.7%). All C.perfringens isolates were sensitive to penicillin, nitromedazole, fluramfenicole and ceftiofur and all are resistant to oxytetracycline. Based on the high count, eight C.perfringens isolates were chosen to be molecular characterized for the presence of some virulence factor genes which included ; cpa, cpb2, cpe and netF toxin genes. All examined isolates have cpa (alpha) and cpb2 (beta 2) toxin genes, 5/8 isolates were found to have netF gene while only 2 isolates harbored cpe (enterotoxin gene). C. difficile tpi gene was not detected in all examined samples (10). This study may throw the light on the synergistic effect of β2 and net F toxins together with alpha toxin on induction of enterocolitis in horse.
Highlights
Diarrhea is one the most common causes of mortality of adult horses and foals, which results in economic losses worldwide (Frederick et al, 2009)
C.perfringens and C.difficile identified in the diarrheic foals and adult horses at different ages were as follows : All foals were positive for C.perfringens; 46.7% for foals less than 6 months and 20% for those between 6-12 months while animals more than one year harbored C.perfringens in an incidence of 13.3%
Among the 24 isolates of C.perfringens that tested by dermonecrotic reaction in Guinea pig, C.perfringens type A was identified in 58.3% of both diarrheic foals and adult horses, while (4.7%) was type B, on the other hand, 37.3% of the isolates were non toxigenic Table (5)
Summary
Diarrhea is one the most common causes of mortality of adult horses and foals, which results in economic losses worldwide (Frederick et al, 2009). Horses are at risk of developing colitis when there has been disruption to the balance of the normal microbiota in the intestinal tract. Such disruptions include a rapid change in diet, anorexia due to disease , and stressful events (that lead to diet changes )such as travel, competition,or hospitalization ,antibiotic administration can significantly alter the intestinal microbiota of the intestinal tract. Infectious causes of horse diarrhea predominantly include bacteria, viruses, and parasitic agents (Solvis, et a., 2010). Some studies about diarrhea in neonatal foals have focused on only one pathogen it is usually caused by diverse combination of enteric infections (Harris et al.,2012.)
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