Skip to main content
PMC home page
Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2002 Nov 12;12(1):25–31. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(86)90038-6

Significance of Clostridium spiroforme in the enteritis-complex of commercial rabbits

JE Peeters 1, R Geeroms 1, RJ Carman 2, TD Wilkins 2
PMCID: PMC7117530  PMID: 3727365

Abstract

Commercial rabbits showing clinical signs of enteritis-complex were examined for the presence of Clostridium spiroforme and its iota-like toxin. The bacterium was detected by Gram stain in 52.4% of 149 cecal samples and iota-like toxin in 7.4%. From 29 strains of C. spiroforme tested, 26 were toxigenic, originating from 24 of 29 rabbitries. In 13.4% of the samples, C. spiroforme was present as the only known disease agent. Gross and microscopic lesions were similar to those described in the literature. In the other samples, C. spiroforme was associated with attaching effacing Escherichia coli (29.5%), Bacillus piliformis (10.3%), rotaviruses (25.6%), coronavirus (2.6%), Eimeria spp. (44.9%) and cryptosporidia (6.4%). In 33.3% of C. spiroforme-containing samples, more than one of these agents was present. There was no significant difference between the presence of these organisms in C. spiroforme-positive and negative samples. On the basis of these results as well as that of previous data, we suggest that C. spiroforme-mediated diarrhea is favoured by maldigestion, initiated by infectious agents and/or nutritional factors.

References

  1. Baskerville M., Wood M., Seamer J.H. Clostridium perfringens. Type E enterotoxaemia in rabbits. Vet. Rec. 1980;107:18–19. doi: 10.1136/vr.107.1.18. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Borriello S.P., Carman R.J. Association of toxigenic Clostridium spiroforme with iota toxin positive enterotoxemia in rabbits. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1983;17:414–418. doi: 10.1128/jcm.17.3.414-418.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carman R.J., Borriello S.P. Clostridium spiroforme isolated from rabbits with diarrhoea. Vet. Rec. 1982;11:461–462. doi: 10.1136/vr.111.20.461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carman R.J., Borriello S.P. Infectious nature of Clostridium spiroforme-mediated rabbit enterotoxaemia. Vet. Microbiol. 1984;9:497–502. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(84)90070-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carman R.J., Evans R.H. Experimental and spontaneous clostridial enteropathies of laboratory and free living lagomorphs. Lab. Anim. Sci. 1984;34:443–452. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carman R.J., Borriello S.P., Waynforth H.B. Microbiological changes during experimental Clostridium spiroforme mediated diarrhoea (iota enterotoxaemia) of rabbits. In: Archibald J., editor. Proc. VIIIth ICLAS/CALAS Scientific Symposium; Vancouver; Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag; 1984. [Google Scholar]
  7. Carman R.J., Van Tassell R.L., Wilkins T.D. Production of iota toxin by Clostridium spiroforme: a requirement for divalent cations. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 1985 doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(87)90136-2. submitted. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cato E.P., Hash D.E., Holdeman L.V., Moore W.E.C. Electrophoretic study of Clostridium species. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1982;15:688–702. doi: 10.1128/jcm.15.4.688-702.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fernie D.S., Eaton P. The demonstration of a toxin resembling Clostridium perfringens iota toxin in rabbits. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 1980;8:33–35. [Google Scholar]
  10. Heine J. Eine einfache Nachweismethode für Kryptosporidien im Kot. Zentralbl. Veterinaermed. Reihe B. 1981;29:324–327. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Katz L., Lamont J.T., Trier J.S., Sonnenblick E.B., Rothman S.W., Broitman S.A., Rieth S. Experimental clindamycin associated colitis in rabbits. Evidence for toxin-mediated mucosal damage. Gastroenterology. 1978;74:246–252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lamont J.T., Sonnenblick E.B., Rothman S. Role of clostridial toxin in the pathogenesis of clindamycin colitis in rabbits. Gastroenterology. 1979;76:356–361. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lee G., Luna H.T., editors. McGraw-Hill Book Company; New York: 1960. p. 258. (Manual of Histologic Staining Methods of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology). [Google Scholar]
  14. MacKenzie E.F.W., Taylor E.W., Gilbert W.E. Recent experiences in the rapid identification of Bacterium coli type I. J. Gen. Microbiol. 1948;200:197–204. [Google Scholar]
  15. MAFF . Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; London: 1977. p. 129. (Technical Bulletin No. 18. Manual of Veterinary Parasitological Laboratory Techniques). [Google Scholar]
  16. Patton N.M., Holmes H.T., Riggs R.J., Cheeke P.R. Enterotoxemia in rabbits. Lab. Anim. Sci. 1978;28:536–540. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Peeters J.E., Geeroms R., Glorieux B. Experimental Escherichia coli enteropathy in weanling rabbits: clinical manifestations and pathological findings. J. Comp. Pathol. 1984;94:521–528. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(84)90056-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Peeters J.E., Pohl P., Charlier G. Infectious agents associated with diarrhoea in commercial rabbits: a field study. Ann. Rech. Vét. 1984;15:335–340. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Peeters J.E., Pohl P., Okerman L., Devriese L.A. Pathogenic properties of Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic commercial rabbits. J. Clin. Microbiol. 1984;20:34–39. doi: 10.1128/jcm.20.1.34-39.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Peeters J.E., Charlier G., Halen P., Geeroms R., Raeymaekers R. Naturally-occurring Tyzzer's disease (Bacillus piliformis infection) in commercial rabbits: a clinical and pathological study. Ann. Rech. Vét. 1985;16:69–79. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Peeters J.E., Charlier G.J., Raeymaekers R. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of attaching effacing Escherichia coli in weanling rabbits. Vet. Pathol. 1985;22:54–59. doi: 10.1177/030098588502200109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rehg J.E., Pakes S.P. Implication of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens iota toxins in experimental lincomycin-associated colitis of rabbits. Lab. Anim. Sci. 1982;32:253–257. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sterne M., Batty I. Butterworth and Co. Ltd; London: 1975. Pathogenic Clostridia; pp. 79–84. [Google Scholar]
  24. Whitney J.C. Some aspects of the enteritis complex of rabbits. In: Tavernor W.D., editor. Nutrition and Diseases in Experimental Animals. Baillière, Tindall and Cassell; London: 1970. pp. 122–131. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Veterinary Microbiology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

RESOURCES