The objectives of this study were to screen the possible effects of B. subtilis and its soluble byproducts against C. perfringens, a causative agent of necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens. The use of B. subtilis strain was found to be inactive in vitro against C. perfringens but its cell filtrate byproducts produced after growth of B. subtilis at 37°C with medium pH adjusted at 5.0, having inhibitory effect in the form of inhibitory zones; measured inhibition of 12 mm. The produced anticlostridial factor was not affected by heat treatment at 70, 100 or 121°C for 15 minutes. The study recorded the responses of broiler chickens to oral administration of C. perfringens and the possible antagonistic effects of B. subtilis and its cell-free filtrate byproducts in vivo. Results revealed that B. subtilis decreased the severity of intestinal necrotic lesions produced after oral inoculation of C. perfringens and the suggested anticlostridial effect was more clear when the cell- free filtrate produced by growing B. subtilis at 37°C with pH 5.0 was added to feed at a dose of 20 ml/kg of ration.

Silage quality deteriorates with Clostridium spp. contamination, and if consumed, such silage jeopardises herd health and productivity. Minimising its occurrence reduces economic and animal welfare risks. The study investigated the influence of environmental and technological determinants on the Clostridium genus’ occurrence in silage. Analyses were conducted on 305 silage samples directly collected from farms located in all Polish provinces. Cultures and isolates were evaluated phenotypically and examined for occurrence of Clostridium spp., particularly C. perfringens and C. botulinum using PCR techniques. The results were statistically analysed using the ᵡ² test for continuous and Student’s t-test for non-continuous values. The most influential effect on Clostridium spp. occurrence is exerted by factors potentially associated with primary production, like the type of fertilisation and the contamination level of the ensiled feed material. Clostridium spp. was detected in 232 (76%) samples, and C. perfringens strains, predominantly toxinotype A, in 79 (26%). C. botulinum occurrence was not detected. Deterioration of silage by clostridia could be prevented by a properly conducted ensiling process with the addition of starter cultures, but the presence of spores mainly depends on primary production and the extent of contamination of the feed material.

The aim of this study was examination of honey samples collected from apiaries situated in all Polish provinces for occurrence of Clostridium spp., especially C. perfringens. The study was carried out on 240 honey samples (15 samples/province). Estimation of Clostridium titre, its cultures and C. perfringens isolate characterisation were performed according to the standard PN-R-64791:1994. A multiplex PCR method for detection of genes coding cpa (α toxin), cpb (β), cpb2 (β2), etx (ε), iap (ι), and cpe (enterotoxin) toxins was used. Clostridium spp. was noticed in 56% (136/240) of samples, and its titres ranged between 0.1 g and 0.001 g. Clostridium perfringens occurrence was evidenced in 27.5% (66/240) of samples. All isolates were classified to toxinotype A. Evidence of a high number of positive samples with occurrence of Clostridium spp. indicates a potential risk to consumers’ health. The infective number of Clostridium spp. is unknown; however, the obtained results have shown that a risk assessment on the entire honey harvesting process should be made in order to ensure microbiological safety. Moreover, a detailed study should be undertaken on the antibiotic resistance of C. perfringens isolates from honey samples.

Objective-To evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM13241 in healthy adult cats. Animals-15 adult cats. Procedures-Cats were fed a nutritionally complete dry food for 5 weeks. Fecal character was assessed daily, and a single fecal sample and 3-mL blood sample were collected for bacterial enumeration and hematologic analysis, respectively. Cats were then fed the same diet supplemented with L acidophilus DSM13241 (2 X 10(8) CFU/d) for 4.5 weeks. Repeat fecal and hematologic measurements were taken prior to the return to control diet for a 4-week period. Results-The probiotic species was recovered from feces, demonstrating survival through the feline gastrointestinal tract. Probiotic supplementation was associated with increased numbers of beneficial Lactobacillus and L acidophilus groups in feces and decreased numbers of Clostridium spp and Enterococcus faecalis, indicating an altered bacterial balance in the gastrointestinal tract microflora. Fecal pH was also decreased suggesting a colonic environment selective for the beneficial lactic acid bacterial population. Systemic and immunomodulatory effects were associated with administration of L acidophilus DSM13241 including altered cell numbers within WBC subsets and enhanced phagocytic capacity in the peripheral granulocyte population. In addition, plasma endotoxin concentrations were decreased during probiotic feeding, and RBCs had a decreased susceptibility to osmotic pressure. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Probiotic strain L acidophilus DSM13241 fed at 2 X 10(8) CFU/d can alter the balance of gastrointestinal microflora in healthy cats. Furthermore, administration of this probiotic results in beneficial systemic and immunomodulatory effects in cats.

One issue that intensive farming has to deal with is neonatal calf diarrhea, and probiotics are seen to be a viable solution to improve the health of calves. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of short-term administration of an antibiotic or probiotic to diarrheal calves on total leukocytic count, serum bactericidal activity, and phagocytosis, as well as to identify potential bacteria that may cause calf diarrhea in early life stages. 55 diarrheal calves, ranging in age from 1 to 20 days, were sampled for feces at a private dairy farm in the Sharkia governorate. E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Clostridium species were among the isolated bacteria, with prevalence rates of 58.2%, 8%, and 12%, respectively. The O26, O111, O119, O128 and O125 serogroups of E. coli isolates were the identified serotypes. While S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis were the recovered Salmonella serotypes. The results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that the invA gene was amplified in the four salmonella isolates but the phoA gene was amplified in all E. coli isolates. Since only the alpha toxin gene was present in each isolate of C. perfringens, they were all type A. Antibiogram test results showed that most isolated species were multi-drug resistant to the ten commonly used antibiotics. On the other hand, isolates of E. coli, salmonella, and clostridium that demonstrated sensitivity for amoxicillin with percentages of 93.3%, 100%, and 66.7%, respectively, represented the medicine that was most successful. Regardless of infection, probiotic or antibiotic treatment, the total leukocytic count values in all diarrheal calves were considerably greater than those in the control group. Serum bactericidal activity in probiotic-treated calves was significantly higher than in the control and antibiotic-treated groups, while it was significantly lower in the antibiotic-treated group. Calf polymorphonuclear leukocytes treated with antibiotics or probiotics had considerably increased phagocytic activity than the control group. In conclusion, probiotics supplementation is an effective strategy for the prevention and control of calf diarrhea.

Four healthy cats were given clindamycin orally in daily doses of 25 or 50 mg/kg of body weight for 6 weeks. Significant change in Factor-VII activity was not found, compared with pretreatment values. In 2 cats tested, toxin produced by Clostridium difficile was not detected in fecal samples obtained before treatment and at 6 weeks after treatment, suggesting that intestinal overgrowth by C difficile did not develop. Results of the study seemed to indicate that orally administered clindamycin does not measurably reduce synthesis of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors in healthy cats.