Significance of Clostridium spiroforme in the enteritis-complex of commercial rabbits

Commercial rabbits showing clinical signs of enteritis-complex were examined for the presence of Clostridium spiroforme and its iota-like toxin. The bacterium was detected by Gram stain in 52.4% of 149 cecal samples and iota-like toxin in 7.4%. From 29 strains of C. spiroforme tested, 26 were toxigenic, originating from 24 of 29 rabbitries. In 13.4% of the samples, C. spiroforme was present as the only known disease agent. Gross and microscopic lesions were similar to those described in the literature. In the other samples, C. spiroforme was associated with attaching effacing Escherichia coli (29.5%), Bacillus piliformis (10.3%), rotaviruses (25.6%), coronavirus (2.6%), Eimeria spp. (44.9%) and cryptosporidia (6.4%). In 33.3% of C. spiroforme-containing samples, more than one of these agents was present. There was no significant difference between the presence of these organisms in C. spiroforme-positive and negative samples. On the basis of these results as well as that of previous data, we suggest that C. spiroforme-mediated diarrhea is favoured by maldigestion, initiated by infectious agents and/or nutritional factors.