Brief description of animal pathogenic clostridia

This chapter gives an outline of the main characteristics of the major clostridial pathogens of animals. The pathogens whose characteristics are described in the chapter are: Clostridium botulinum , Clostridium chauvoei , Clostridium colinum , Clostridium difficile , Clostridium haemolyticum , Clostridium novyi , Clostridium perfringens , Clostridium piliforme , Clostridium septicum , Clostridium sordellii , Clostridium spiroforme , and Clostridium tetani . C. botulinum causes botulism in mammalian and avian species. The main sources of this pathogen include vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, and it causes diseases in humans, mink, cattle, waterfowl, sheep, fish, and fish-eating birds. Gas gangrene, or malignant edema, in several mammalian species and yellow lamb disease in sheep are caused by C. perfringens . The main sources for this pathogen include soil, the large intestine, and manured soil. All mammalian and avian species are affected hosts.