Clostridial disease associated with neurologic signs: tetanus, botulism, and enterotoxemia

Abstract

Clostridial infections are found worldwide in almost all species of animals and may involve a variety of body systems and present with a diversity of clinical signs. Most damage done through clostridial infections is due to the action of toxins released from the bacteria.Thus, disease caused by Clostridium spp should more correctly be called intoxication. Two prominent clostridial infections are associated with neurologic signs: Clostridium botulinum and C tetani. In both infections, the mechanism that is responsible for causing the problem is similar, despite the remarkable difference in clinical presentation. In addition, neurologic signs are described with C perfringens types C and D but are not the dominant feature of these diseases.