Clostridiosis

Clostridiosis refers to a group of enteric diseases caused primarily by Clostridium perfringens, a Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium. The most economically significant manifestation is Necrotic Enteritis (NE), one of the leading causes of production losses in broiler chickens worldwide.

Clostridia are normal inhabitants of the poultry intestinal microbiota. Disease develops when bacterial overgrowth occurs due to predisposing factors that disrupt intestinal homeostasis.

Because C. perfringens normally exists in healthy birds, disease is usually triggered by intestinal imbalance rather than introduction of a new pathogen.