Determination of the role of Clostridium perfringens Type A in Intraluminal Intestinal Hemorrhage Syndrome in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Intraluminal intestinal hemorrhage syndrome (IIHS) is a relatively recently recognized disease in adult dairy cows which results in obstruction of the jejunum with blood clots and sloughing of the mucosal surface of the jejunum. Many of the affected cows die acutely despite medical and/or surgical treatment. Clostridium perfringens Type A is suspected to be involved in development of this disease, as it is commonly cultured from the intestinal contents of affected cows. The objective of this study was to determine if the disease could be reproduced by intraluminal inoculation of a pure culture into the abomasum or the jejunum of normal cows fed high-energy rations.