Clostridium perfringens Type A
- Clostridium perfringens Type A is associated with several serious (and often fatal) gastrointestinal diseases in young beef calves and feedlot cattle: abomasal ulcers, enterotoxemia, and sudden death
- Diagnosis is based on clinical signs, lesions and isolation of the organism in association with lesions
- PCR toxin-typing, as performed by Newport Laboratories, is important to aid in diagnosis
- Commercial bacterins/toxoids are not effective in the prevention of disease due to Clostridium perfringens Type A
- Autogenous bacterins, manufactured with the Newport dual fermentation system, have been used by many veterinarians with favorable results
Clostridium perfringens Type A in Beef Cattle
Clostridium perfringens has been recognized as a problem in cattle for decades. The Clostridium species is divided into five types based on the organisms' ability to produce toxins. Historically, most of the C. perfringens strains considered to be pathogenic have been identified as Types C or D. In the last few years, however, C. perfringens Type A has received considerably more attention and its association with gastrointestinal lesions is now well documented.
