Clostridium perfringens–Associated Necrotic Enteritis-Like Disease in Coconut Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Abstract

Several outbreaks of necrotic enteritis-like disease in lorikeets, from which Clostridium perfringens was consistently isolated, are described. All lorikeets had acute, segmental, or multifocal fibrinonecrotizing inflammatory lesions in the small and/or the large intestine, with intralesional gram-positive rods. The gene encoding C. perfringens alpha toxin was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in 20 out of 24 affected lorikeets (83%), but it was not amplified from samples of any of 10 control lorikeets ( P < .0001). The second most prevalent C. perfringens toxin gene detected was the beta toxin gene, which was found in FFPE from 7 out of 24 affected lorikeets (29%). The other toxin genes were detected inconsistently and in a relatively low number of samples. These cases seem to be associated with C. perfringens, although the specific type involved could not be determined.