Foal diarrhoea between 1991 and 1994 in the United Kingdom associated withClostridium perfringens, rotavirus,Strongyloides westeriandCryptosporidiumspp.

Abstract

SummaryA case control study of foal diarrhoea in the United Kingdom was carried out over a 3-year period.Clostridium perfringenswas significantly associated with foal diarrhoea (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3·0), being isolated from 57% of 421 animals with diarrhoea but from only 27% of 223 healthy foals. Also,C. perfringenswas significantly associated with fatal diarrhoea (OR = 4·5). About half of diarrhoea with a fatal outcome was attributable to this organism.The other pathogens significantly associated with diarrhoea were rotavirus (OR = 5·6), Cryptosporidium spp. (OR = 3·2) and the nematodeStrongyloides westeri, which was significant only when present in large numbers (> 2000 eggs/g of faeces: OR = 6·1).Salmonellaspp. (OR = 14·2) andCryptosporidiumspp. (OR = 3·0) were the only other pathogens associated with fatal illness.Overall,C. perfringens, rotavirus, and large numbers ofCryptosporidiumspp. orS. westeriwere isolated from 80% of foals with diarrhoea. ThermophilicCampylobacterspp.,Yersinia enterocolitica,Escherichia coliand other parasites were not associated with diarrhoea. Carriage ofC. perfringens, rotavirus andCryptosporidiumspp. was significantly greater in healthy foals in contact with cases of diarrhoea than in foals that were not in contact with diarrhoea (P < 0·05). There were no statistical interactions between any of the pathogens associated with diarrhoea although separate cases from one location often involved more than one pathogen.