Impact of active immunisation against enteritis necroticans in Papua New Guinea

Enteritis necroticans, known locally as pigbel, has been a major cause of illness and death among children in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. After a successful trial of active immunisation against the beta toxin of the causative organism, Clostridium perfringens type C, immunisation of children was begun in 1980. The effects of the immunisation programme on pigbel admissions in 3 of the 5 major highland hospitals were assessed. In each of the centres studied the proportion of admissions due to enteritis necroticans dropped significantly after immunisation was introduced (p less than 0.001) and hospital admissions for pigbel in 1984-86, when immunisation was well established, were less than one fifth of previous figures.