Enterotoxemia in Pig and Cattle due to Clostridium welchii type A

Abstract

On the intestinal contents and the internal organs from three pigs and three cows dead after showing enterotoxemia, the isolation, identification and typing of Cl. welchii were attemped. The identification of Cl. welchii was based on colonial morphology, stormy fermentation in litmas milk, biological characteristics and lecithinase reaction on Willis' medium. The typing of Cl. welchii was carried out according to the classification of Oakley by toxin-antitoxin neutralization test and of Yoshizawa et al. by the method of agglutination test. The results are summarized as follows:
1) Cl. welchii was isolated from intestinal contents and internal organs in high level of 10⁵ to 10⁷ per gram.
2) α-toxin of Cl. welchii was detected in filtrates prepared from intestinal contents of duodenum and jejunum of animals of both species.
3) α-toxigenicity of Cl. welchii isolated was so high, ranging from 2.5 to 6.0.
4) Cl. welchii belonged to type A except for isolates from duodenum of Cattle case B and C.
5) Cl. welchii isolated from lung of Pig case A was heat resistance, but others were heat sensitive strains.
6) Spore formation was observed in all strains of isolates.
7) In organism isolated from duodenum of Cattle case B and C, the produced toxin was not perfectly neutralized by type A antitoxin, furthermore this toxin killed mice by intravenous injection.
From the results of these investigations, three pigs and three cows which died after an acute illness were diagnosed as enterotoxemia due to Cl. welchii type A strains producable of α-toxin in high degree.