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Letters POULTRY DISEASES
Rice hulls as a possible source of Clostridium botulinum type C spores for poultry BotULisM is a neuroparalytic disease caused by the action of the botulinal neurotoxin (BoNt) produced by the anaerobic spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum. BoNts are classified into seven serotypes, A through G, based on their antigenic properties (Gimenez 1976). C botulinum type C is the most common serotype involved in avian botulism outbreaks, although types A, d and E have rarely been reported in birds (Kaldhusdal and Jordan 2008). during the winter of
2009 to 2010, two different farms located in the north of italy, housing 120,000 and 46,000 broiler chickens aged 20 and 46 days, respectively, experienced recurrent botulism outbreaks. in July 2011, two turkey flocks of 96,000 females and 46,000 males were affected by botulism at 20 days of age. Classical clinical signs such as flaccid paralysis of the wings, legs, neck and eyelids were observed. Mortality, which ranged from 2 per cent to 5 per cent in chickens and was about 16 per cent in turkeys, was reduced by administration of ampicillin in water (30 mg/kg). diagnosis was based on the mouse test on sera collected from 10 symptomatic birds in each affected flock and on detection by pCr of C botulinum (types A to F) from enrichment cultures inoculated with liver samples and intestinal contents (de Medici and others 2009, Woudstra and others 2012). C botulinum type C was also isolated from pCr-positive broth cultures.
November 2, 2013 | Veterinary Record | 427
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Letters Rice hulls were being used as a litter component in the affected flocks of both turkeys and chickens. Food, water and samples from unused rice hull batches were collected during disease outbreaks and tested for BoNTs and C botulinum. In addition, a further six batches of rice hulls, sampled on different farms where flocks had not experienced botulism, were analysed for C botulinum type C by PCR and for toxins by the mouse test. Feed, water and rice hull samples tested negative for BoNTs. Only the rice hulls collected from the two affected farms tested positive for C botulinum type C and the strain was isolated. Since 2011, there have been sporadic botulism outbreaks in Italy in commercial broiler farms where rice hulls were used as a litter component, but no investigation into the possible source of contamination. Several botulism outbreaks in broiler chickens have been reported in the literature but the origin of the disease has often remained unexplained. Intoxication and toxico-infectious forms have been shown to occur in chickens due to cannibalised carcases and contaminated food, respectively (Pesce de Fagonde and Sardi 1967, Blandford and Roberts 1970). In the present investigation, batches of rice hulls used in affected flocks were found to be contaminated by C botulinum type C spores but not toxins. The hypothesis that a toxicoinfectious form occurred is supported by the fact that preformed BoNTs were not detected in the food, water and rice hull samples, and that administration of ampicillin resulted in a decrease in morbidity and mortality. The significance of this finding is emphasised by the negative results obtained from rice hull samples collected in healthy flocks. Results demonstrate that rice hulls could be a source of C botulinum type C spores and should therefore be tested before being used in poultry flocks.
D. Giovanardi, Laboratorio Tre Valli, Viale Apollinare Veronesi 5, 37132 San Michele Extra, Verona, Italy E. Morandini, Agricola Tre Valli, Via Valpantena 18/G, 37138, Quinto di Valpantena, Verona, Italy
References
BLANDFORD, T. B. & ROBERTS, T. A. (1970) An outbreak of botulism in broiler chickens. Veterinary Record 87, 258-261 DE MEDICI, D., ANNIBALLI, F., WYATT, G. M., LINDSTRÖM, M., MESSELHÄUSSER, U., ALDUS, C. F. & OTHERS (2009) Multiplex PCR for detection of botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia in clinical, food, and environmental samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, 6457-6461 GIMENEZ, D. F. (1976) Serological classification and typing of Clostridium botulinum. Developments in Biological Standardization 32, 175-183 KALDHUSDAL, M. & JORDAN, F. T. W. (2008) Clostridia. In Poultry Diseases. 6th edn. Eds M. Pattison, P. McMullin, J. Bradbury, D. Alexander. Elsevier. pp 208-211 PESCE DE FAGONDE, A. & SARDI, H. F. (1967) Avian botulism, the 1st confirmed case in the Republic of Argentina. Bulletin – Office International Des Epizooties 67, 1479-1491 WOUDSTRA, C., SKARIN, H., ANNIBALLI, F., FENICIA, L., BANO, L., DRIGO, I. & OTHERS (2012) Neurotoxin gene profiling of Clostridium botulinum types C and D native to different countries within Europe. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78, 3120-3127
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6521
L. Bano, I. Drigo, E. Tonon, F. Agnoletti, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Vicolo Mazzini 4, 31020 Villorba, Treviso, Italy e-mail: [email protected]
428 | Veterinary Record | November 2, 2013
426-428 Gazette and letters.indd 428
30/10/2013 16:58
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on July 2, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Rice hulls as a possible source of Clostridium botulinum type C spores for poultry L. Bano, I. Drigo, E. Tonon, F. Agnoletti, D. Giovanardi and E. Morandini Veterinary Record 2013 173: 427-428
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6521 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/17/427
These include:
References Email alerting service
This article cites 5 articles, 2 of which you can access for free at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/17/427#BIBL Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
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Letters POULTRY DISEASES
Rice hulls as a possible source of Clostridium botulinum type C spores for poultry BotULisM is a neuroparalytic disease caused by the action of the botulinal neurotoxin (BoNt) produced by the anaerobic spore-forming bacillus Clostridium botulinum. BoNts are classified into seven serotypes, A through G, based on their antigenic properties (Gimenez 1976). C botulinum type C is the most common serotype involved in avian botulism outbreaks, although types A, d and E have rarely been reported in birds (Kaldhusdal and Jordan 2008). during the winter of
2009 to 2010, two different farms located in the north of italy, housing 120,000 and 46,000 broiler chickens aged 20 and 46 days, respectively, experienced recurrent botulism outbreaks. in July 2011, two turkey flocks of 96,000 females and 46,000 males were affected by botulism at 20 days of age. Classical clinical signs such as flaccid paralysis of the wings, legs, neck and eyelids were observed. Mortality, which ranged from 2 per cent to 5 per cent in chickens and was about 16 per cent in turkeys, was reduced by administration of ampicillin in water (30 mg/kg). diagnosis was based on the mouse test on sera collected from 10 symptomatic birds in each affected flock and on detection by pCr of C botulinum (types A to F) from enrichment cultures inoculated with liver samples and intestinal contents (de Medici and others 2009, Woudstra and others 2012). C botulinum type C was also isolated from pCr-positive broth cultures.
November 2, 2013 | Veterinary Record | 427
426-428 Gazette and letters.indd 427
30/10/2013 16:58
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on July 2, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Letters Rice hulls were being used as a litter component in the affected flocks of both turkeys and chickens. Food, water and samples from unused rice hull batches were collected during disease outbreaks and tested for BoNTs and C botulinum. In addition, a further six batches of rice hulls, sampled on different farms where flocks had not experienced botulism, were analysed for C botulinum type C by PCR and for toxins by the mouse test. Feed, water and rice hull samples tested negative for BoNTs. Only the rice hulls collected from the two affected farms tested positive for C botulinum type C and the strain was isolated. Since 2011, there have been sporadic botulism outbreaks in Italy in commercial broiler farms where rice hulls were used as a litter component, but no investigation into the possible source of contamination. Several botulism outbreaks in broiler chickens have been reported in the literature but the origin of the disease has often remained unexplained. Intoxication and toxico-infectious forms have been shown to occur in chickens due to cannibalised carcases and contaminated food, respectively (Pesce de Fagonde and Sardi 1967, Blandford and Roberts 1970). In the present investigation, batches of rice hulls used in affected flocks were found to be contaminated by C botulinum type C spores but not toxins. The hypothesis that a toxicoinfectious form occurred is supported by the fact that preformed BoNTs were not detected in the food, water and rice hull samples, and that administration of ampicillin resulted in a decrease in morbidity and mortality. The significance of this finding is emphasised by the negative results obtained from rice hull samples collected in healthy flocks. Results demonstrate that rice hulls could be a source of C botulinum type C spores and should therefore be tested before being used in poultry flocks.
D. Giovanardi, Laboratorio Tre Valli, Viale Apollinare Veronesi 5, 37132 San Michele Extra, Verona, Italy E. Morandini, Agricola Tre Valli, Via Valpantena 18/G, 37138, Quinto di Valpantena, Verona, Italy
References
BLANDFORD, T. B. & ROBERTS, T. A. (1970) An outbreak of botulism in broiler chickens. Veterinary Record 87, 258-261 DE MEDICI, D., ANNIBALLI, F., WYATT, G. M., LINDSTRÖM, M., MESSELHÄUSSER, U., ALDUS, C. F. & OTHERS (2009) Multiplex PCR for detection of botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia in clinical, food, and environmental samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75, 6457-6461 GIMENEZ, D. F. (1976) Serological classification and typing of Clostridium botulinum. Developments in Biological Standardization 32, 175-183 KALDHUSDAL, M. & JORDAN, F. T. W. (2008) Clostridia. In Poultry Diseases. 6th edn. Eds M. Pattison, P. McMullin, J. Bradbury, D. Alexander. Elsevier. pp 208-211 PESCE DE FAGONDE, A. & SARDI, H. F. (1967) Avian botulism, the 1st confirmed case in the Republic of Argentina. Bulletin – Office International Des Epizooties 67, 1479-1491 WOUDSTRA, C., SKARIN, H., ANNIBALLI, F., FENICIA, L., BANO, L., DRIGO, I. & OTHERS (2012) Neurotoxin gene profiling of Clostridium botulinum types C and D native to different countries within Europe. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78, 3120-3127
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6521
L. Bano, I. Drigo, E. Tonon, F. Agnoletti, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Vicolo Mazzini 4, 31020 Villorba, Treviso, Italy e-mail: [email protected]
428 | Veterinary Record | November 2, 2013
426-428 Gazette and letters.indd 428
30/10/2013 16:58
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on July 2, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Rice hulls as a possible source of Clostridium botulinum type C spores for poultry L. Bano, I. Drigo, E. Tonon, F. Agnoletti, D. Giovanardi and E. Morandini Veterinary Record 2013 173: 427-428
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6521 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/17/427
These include:
References Email alerting service
This article cites 5 articles, 2 of which you can access for free at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/17/427#BIBL Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
