An Australian model for experimental reproduction of clostridial enteritis in broilers

A significant threat to the broiler industry is the sporadic outbreak of necrotic enteritis (NE). Damage to the intestinal mucosa through coccidial infection or a change in the normal intestinal microflora predisposes the birds to the proliferation of 'Clostridium perfringens' (CP) resulting in NE. Presently, the occurrence of NE in poultry is controlled by adding antibacterial growth promotants (AGP) to feed. Although, Australia has no ban on AGP in place there are increased efforts in the poultry industry to find alternatives to AGP. This paper reports on the results from two experiments investigating a possible challenge model for the experimental induction of subclinical NE for subsequent evaluation of alternatives to AGP.