Haemorrhagic bowel syndrome in dairy cattle: possible role of Clostridium perfringens type A in the disease complex

A survey based on clinical, pathological and microbiological investigations was performed on 11 Brown Swiss cattle affected with depression, anorexia, agalaxia, ruminal hypomotility, abdominal pain and melaena. In eight animals, macroscopical lesions consisted in haemorrhagic enteritis in the small intestine. Seven of eight isolates from tissue samples were identified as Clostridum perfringens type A, and four were identified as C. perfringens type A with the beta2 toxin gene. Based on these observations, animals were considered affected with haemorrhagic bowel syndrome.