Ulcerative enteritis-like disease associated with Clostridium sordellii in quail

A natural outbreak of ulcerative enteritis-like disease associated with Clostridium sordellii was diagnosed in two commercial quail flocks. Clinical signs in the quail included anorexia, weakness, and increased mortality in the flocks. Lesions in the intestine were characterized by ulcers covered with fibrinonecrotic exudate in the small intestine and occasional hemorrhages. There were also multifocal pale areas of necrosis in the liver. Clostridium sordellii was isolated from the intestine and liver. A retrospective study of avian cases submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories revealed that C. sordellii had been isolated in 45 avian submissions, most commonly in chickens and turkeys. In most of these cases the birds were diagnosed with necrotic enteritis, with or without hepatitis. Clostridium sordellii has occasionally been associated with gangrenous dermatitis in poultry, but this is the first report of enteritis in an avian species.