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Review
. 2022 Sep 30;10(10):1958.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10101958.

Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens: A Review on the Pathogen, Pathogenesis, and Prevention

Shahna Fathima  1 , Walid Ghazi Al Hakeem  1 , Revathi Shanmugasundaram  2 , Ramesh K Selvaraj  1
Affiliations
Review

Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens: A Review on the Pathogen, Pathogenesis, and Prevention

Shahna Fathima et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens type A and C are the primary etiological agents associated with necrotic enteritis (NE) in poultry. The predisposing factors implicated in the incidence of NE changes the physical properties of the gut, immunological status of birds, and disrupt the gut microbial homeostasis, causing an over-proliferation of C. perfringens. The principal virulence factors contributing to the pathogenesis of NE are the α-toxin, β-toxin, and NetB toxin. The immune response to NE in poultry is mediated by the Th1 pathway or cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. C. perfringens type A and C are also pathogenic in humans, and hence are of public health significance. C. perfringens intoxications are the third most common bacterial foodborne disease after Salmonella and Campylobacter. The restrictions on the use of antibiotics led to an increased incidence of NE in poultry. Hence, it is essential to develop alternative strategies to keep the prevalence of NE under check. The control strategies rely principally on the positive modulation of host immune response, nutritional manipulation, and pathogen reduction. Current knowledge on the etiology, pathogenesis, predisposing factors, immune response, effect on the gut microbial homeostasis, and preventative strategies of NE in this post-antibiotic era is addressed in this review.

Keywords: C. perfringens; broilers; necrotic enteritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Regulation of virulence gene activation and toxin production by the quorum sensing dependent VirS–VirR regulatory system in C. perfringens. Created with Biorender.com (accessed on 30 May 2022).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Growth of C. perfringens colonies on TSC agar supplemented with egg yolk emulsion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Predisposing factors of NE and their mechanism of action. Created with Biorender.com (accessed on 30 May 2022).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Gut microbial shift during NE challenge in chickens. Created with Biorender.com (accessed on 31 May 2022).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Prevention and control strategies of necrotic enteritis in the post-antibiotic age. Created with Biorender.com (accessed on 24 July 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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