Enterocolitis in elephants. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)

See also:

• Colibacillosis (with special reference to Waterfowl, Hedgehogs and Elephants)
• Colic in Elephants
• Clostridium perfringens Infection in Elephants (Bacterial Disease Summary)

• Elephant Gastro-Intestinal Nematode Infection

• Intestinal Fluke Infection in Elephants

• Salmonellosis (with special reference to Waterfowl, Hedgehogs and Elephants)

• Schistosomiasis in Waterfowl (with notes on Elephants

• Clostridium difficile. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)

• Clostridium difficile.

• Enteric Clostridium difficile overgrowth causes pseudomembranous colitis in humans, hamsters and guinea pigs, and haemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis in foals. It has been recorded causing disease in a variety of species. (J128.9.w2)

In Elephants:

• In a group of five adult Elephas maximus - Asian Elephants, signs were non-specific: (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)
• Altered behaviour and anorexia initially in all five female elephants. (J238.X.w1)
• The following day, depression, anorexia and listlessness in three elephants. (J238.X.w1)
• Two elephants died on the fourth day. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)
• One elephant recovered slowly over five weeks. (J238.X.w1)

• Carcass swollen with emphysema. (J238.X.w1)
• All organs showed marked autolysis in one elephant, milder autolysis in the other female. (J238.X.w1)
• About 20 L serosanguinous fluid in the abdominal cavity of one elephant. (J238.X.w1)
• GIT: Fibrinonecrotic enteritis and colitis. (P507.2005.w1)

  Elephant 1

  • Duodenum: Mucosa dull grey and appearing flattened. (J238.X.w1)
  • Jejunum and ileum: Wall 2-3 cm thick, especially the ileum. Mucosa grey-red, multiple foci of fibrin deposition, 2- 20 mm, and occasional ulcers. Sparse, green-brown, fluid intestinal contents. J238.X.w1
  • Large intestine: Occasional patches of fibrin. (J238.X.w1)

  Elephant 2

  • Small intestine: from pylorus to the ileocecal valve, severe fibrinous pseudomembranes, together with necrosis and ulceration of the mucosa. Contents green-brown, red tinged, and fluid. Serosa dark with multiple petechiae (particularly on the ileum). (J238.X.w1)
    • Duodenum wall slightly thickened, with coalescing patches of fibrin deposition over about 20% of the mucosa. (J238.X.w1)
    • Jejunum multiple deep circular ulcers, and coalescing patches of fibrin deposition over about 40-50% of the mucosa. (J238.X.w1)
    • Ileum wall massively thickened with severe oedema and haemorrhage, nearly the whole mucosa was covered with a fibrinous pseudomembrane and there were multiple longitudinal ulcers. (J238.X.w1)
  • Large intestine (caecum and colon): lesions less severe; fibrin deposition and patchy ulceration. (J238.X.w1)

Histopathology:

• Elephant 2 (Elephant 1 too autolysed)
• Small intestine: Mucosal layer eroded and replaced with a fibrin layer with many bacterial colonies, mainly Gram-positive rods. Multifocal deep ulcerations containing blood, fibrin and heterophils. In the submucosa, muscularis layer and lamina propria, oedema and mixed inflammatory infiltration with mainly lymphocytes, also heterophils and macrophages. (J238.X.w1)
• Large intestine: Lesions as in the small intestine, but less severe. (J238.X.w1)

Diagnosis:

• Clostridium difficile was isolated from the intestinal contents/ileal mucosa of both dead elephants, and from the faeces of the surviving severely affected elephant. The organism was identifies by selective cultivation and PCR. The tcdA and tcdB toxin genes were detected and were positive in a toxigenic culture assay. Cell-culture based cytotoxic assay revealed Clostridium difficile toxin in the intestinal contents of one of the dead elephants. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)
  • Note: Clostridium perfringens type A and Clostridium septicum also were isolated, but no Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin was found, Clostridium perfringens can also be grown from faeces of healthy elephants,  and Clostridium septicum is known to grow rapidly post mortem; these organisms therefore were considered probably incidental. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)

Preventive measures:

• Caution is suggested if using antibiotics in elephants. (J238.X.w1, P507.2005.w1)
  • In other species such as humans, hamsters and guinea pigs use of antibiotics is known as a trigger of Clostridium difficile enterocolitis. (J128.9.w2)

Note: A large amount of broccoli, which contains substantial amounts of sulforaphane, a substance known to have an antimicrobial effect on various micro-organisms of the human gut, had been fed to the elephants shortly before the outbreak of disease. (J238.X.w1)

• History & Documentation
• Physical Examination of Mammals
• Environmental Assessment
• Necropsy of Mammals (Technique)
• Chapter 2 - B36 Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases - Specimen Collection and Preservation
• Chapter 3 - B36 Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases - Specimen shipment
• Appendix A - B36 Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases - Sample specimen history form
• Medicating Elephants
• Euthanasia of Elephants

• Elephants (Elephantidae - Elephants (Family))
• Elephas maximus - Asian Elephant

(List does not contain all other species groups affected by this infectious agent)