Clostridium perfringens Type A is a strain of bacteria that can rapidly produce harmful amounts of toxins in beef and dairy cattle if an intestinal disruption occurs. This, in turn, can lead to serious and often deadly gastrointestinal diseases, including hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS).

In an effort to address these emerging diseases, Novartis Animal Health has introduced the first USDA conditionally licensed vaccine for cattle – Clostridium Perfringens Type A Toxoid. This vaccine aids in the control of disease syndromes caused by the alpha toxin of C. perfringens.

Research demonstrates that C. perfringens Type A is associated with:

• Abomasal ulcers, abomasal hemorrhage and abdominal tympany in calves – Beef and dairy calves show signs of quick onset of abdominal distention with pain, bloat, depression, feed refusal and sudden death. While there is more than one cause, researchers have isolated C. perfringens Type A from affected calves in several studies.

• Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) in mature cows – HBS strikes apparently healthy cows without much warning, and has an estimated fatality rate of 85 percent or higher within the first 24-36 hours. It is more prevalent in dairy cows, but it also has been reported in beef cattle.

The National Animal Health Monitoring System reports that the number of operations reporting their initial cases of HBS increased dramatically between 1996 and 2002, supporting opinions that this is an emerging disease.

For more information, read the in-depth report on C. perfringens Type A.