DISEASE SUMMARY PAGE

Clostridium perfringens Infection in Elephants and Bears:

Summary Information
Diseases / List of Bacterial Diseases / Disease summary
Alternative Names Enterotoxemia 

See also:
Disease Agents Clostridium perfringens. (B336.72.w72, J212.17.w1)
Infectious Agent(s)
Non-infectious Agent(s) --
Physical Agent(s) -Indirect / Secondary
General Description
  • Clostridium perfringens is the most important gastrointestinal clostridial pathogen in animals. (B336.72.w72) 
  • Clostridum perfringens biotypes (A-E) produce different enterotoxins (alpha, beta, epsilon and iota) which cause enterotoxaemia in animals. (B336.72.w72)
  • Several Clostridum perfringens biotypes cause necrotic and haemorrhagic enteritis, depending on the enterotoxins produced by the bacteria. (B336.72.w72, J3.149.w4)
  • Recent studies suggest that an additional beta 2-toxin gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of enteric disease in piglets and foals. (B336.72.w72)  
In Elephants:

Information is available on a few cases in elephants:

Loxodonta africana - African Elephant

  • Three of five African elephants died due to Clostridium perfringens enterotoxaemia. (B214.3.7.w3)
  • Escherichia coli and Clostridum perfringens were isolated post mortem from an African elephant calf with colitis and secondary septicaemia. (B450.13.w13)
  • Clostridum perfringes beta 2-toxin was isolated post mortem in a 22-year-old female Loxodonta africana - African Elephant from a zoological garden in Switzerland. (J3.149.w4)
    • A study of intestinal sections of three other elephants without intestinal disease revealed that strains of beta 2- toxigenic Clostridum perfringens  do not occur in healthy elephants, therefore their isolation in sick animals demonstrates their role in enteric disease. (J3.149.w4)
Clinical signs
  • In three young elephants: (B214.3.7.w3)
    • In two animals: anorexia, fatigue, severe foul-smelling diarrhoea, restlessness, signs of circulatory deficiency, collapse and death in three or six days. (B214.3.7.w3)
    • In one animal (treated): anorexia including refusal of water for five days, resumption of feeding and drinking on the sixth day, development of restlessness and muscle tremors, increasing until death on the seventh day. (B214.3.7.w3)
  • In a female with ulcerative enteritis:
Susceptibility
  • Young elephants are considered particularly susceptible. (B10.49.w21, B64.27.w4)
Transmission
  • Contaminated food has been reported as a source of infection. (B10.49.w21, B64.27.w4)
  • When three elephants were affected out of a group of five, provision of fresh protein-rich grass during a hot period when the elephants were drinking more than usual were considered as possible precipitating factors. (B214.3.7.w3)
In Bears:
Clinical signs
  • Animals are usually found dead. (B16.9.w9, B64.26.w5)
  • In Ursus thibetanus - Asiatic black bears fed spoiled herring, depression, anorexia, pale mucosae and haemorrhagic diarrhoea developed after about 24 hours after the bears were fed the fish. Two bears died suddenly, one on the third day after the meal of spoiled fish and one a week later. (J212.17.w1)

(B16.9.w9, B64.26.w5, J212.17.w1)

Transmission
  • Transmission from spoiled herring was considered possible, or possibly feeding of the spoiled fish may have triggered overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens present in the intestines of the bears. (J212.17.w1)
Further Information
In Elephants:
Treatment
  • High doses of antibiotics [not specified], Clostridium perfringens antitoxin, and supportive treatment such as vitamins. (B214.3.7.w3)
  • Antibiotic sulphaguanide in an "Inorgan preparation" was given. (J3.149.w4)
  • Antitoxin and antibiotics, such as ampicillin and kanamycin. (B10.49.w21, B64.27.w4, B214.3.7.w3)
  • The diet was changed. (J3.149.w4)
  • As the elephant deteriorated and became recumbent, shock therapy with saline, glucose and corticosteroids was given. (J3.149.w4)
  • Euthanasia was elected due to deterioration and inability to get up. (J3.149.w4)
Gross pathology
  • Gastro-intestinal tract: Large volume of dark brown watery fluid and ulceration of approximately 5% of the mucosal surface. (J3.149.w4)
Histopathology
Diagnosis
  • Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the contents of the small intestine. (J3.149.w4)
    • PCR analysis revealed that it belonged to the beta 2-toxigenic toxin type carrying the alpha-toxin gene cpa and the  beta 2-toxin gene cpb2. (J3.149.w4)
  • Immunopositivity for beta 2-toxin in the small intestine lesions was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal rabbit anti-beta 2-toxin antibody. (J3.149.w4)
Preventive measures
  • Vaccination is available for elephants. (B10.49.w21)
  • Vaccination has been used, Novipan-Vakzine G.S.T.®. (B214.3.7.w3)
In Bears:
Gross Pathology

(J212.17.w1)

Diagnosis
  • Gram-stained smears from the small and large intestines showed gram-positive rod-shaped bacilli. 
  • Culture of the mucosal scrapings from the small and large intestines, liver, heart and lung produced Clostridium perfringens in large numbers.
  • PCR analysis to determine the toxin genotypes: β2-toxigenic Clostridium perfringens type A strain was identified (α toxin was also produced). 

(J212.17.w1)

Techniques linked to this disease
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Host taxa groups /species Further information on Host species has only been incorporated for species groups for which a full Wildpro "Health and Management" module has been completed (i.e. for which a comprehensive literature review has been undertaken). Host species with further information available are listed below:

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

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