Is Clostridium perfringens type A a primary or secondary factor in HBS?
It is unclear at present whether enteric proliferation of, and intraluminal toxin production by C. perfringens type A occurs as part of the primary insult to the intestine, or if these processes occur secondary to another disease or triggering factor. Hemorrhage into the intestine from another cause could, in theory, initiate secondary proliferation of the ubiquitous C. perfringens, as this organism is likely to rapidly multiply when large quantities of soluble protein or carbohydrate is presented to the intestine. In other words, blood certainly could act as a very rich culture medium for this organism. Once the organism proliferates, however, the toxins that it releases during rapid growth could contribute to the degradation of the intestinal wall that is so characteristic of HBS. This destruction of the intestinal wall in sections of the gut affected by HBS is likely to contribute to the subsequent shock and peritonitis that is evident in so many affected cows. What about the the ro
