Anti-Clostridium Polyclonal antibody

Reports of 148 cases of Tyzzer's disease in foals in central Kentucky were analyzed to identify features of the disease and factors associated with it. The records indicate that Tyzzer's disease is a rapidly progressive, highly fatal hepatitis caused by Clostridium piliforme. Common clinical findings are lethargy, fever, anorexia, and icterus. Seizures, coma, and death may rapidly ensue. Laboratory findings are leukopenia, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia, and increased activity of hepatic enzymes. Diagnosis is primarily based on clinical signs and postmortem findings but a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is now available to detect C. piliforme DNA in organs and feces. Disease occurred most frequently in foals between 9 and 30 days of age that were born in April to May and was associated with heavy rainfall in the spring and high protein and nitrogenous diets fed to nursing mares. The findings are consistent with the ingestion of C. piliforme in the feces of adult horses and overgrowth in the intestine of foals with a high level of nutrients in their intestine.

Objective-To determine risk factors for Clostridium piliforme infection in neonatal foals on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in California. Design-Case-control and retrospective cohort studies. Animals-322 neonatal Thoroughbred foals either born on the study farm or born elsewhere but traveled to the farm with their dam during the 1998, 1999, and 2000 breeding seasons. Procedure-Mare and foal records from 1998, 1999, and 2000 were examined, using case-control design methods to determine variables associated with increased risk of C piliforme infection in foals Important risk factors identified in the case-control study were then reevaluated by use of a retrospective cohort design, using data from all neonatal foals present on the farm during the 3-year study period. Results-Foals born between March 13 and April 13 were 7.2 times as likely to develop C piliforme infection as were those born at any other time of the foaling season. Foals of nonresident (visiting) mares were 3.4 times as likely to develop disease as were foals born to mares that were permanent residents of the study farm. Foals of mares < 6 years of age were 2.9 times as likely to develop disease as were foals born to older mares. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results of this research can be used to better understand the epidemiologic factors of C piliforme infection in horses. High-risk foals can be closely monitored to aid in early diagnosis and treatment, resulting in the blest possible clinical outcome for affected individuals,