Clostridium perfringens a hyperimmune serum saves dromedary lives from clostridial enterotoxaemia

Clostridium (C.) perfringens A enterotoxaemia is an important bacterial disease in racing dromedaries in the UAE. The course of the clostridial enterotoxaemia is rapid and therefore an effective treatment with antibiotics is unrewarding. The administration of a specific anti alpha-toxin produced in a homologous system is an efficient short term prophylactic method to save the life of valuable dromedaries. Ten racing dromedaries suffering from typical C. perfringens A enterotoxaemia diagnosed through clinical signs and change in some blood parameters as well as low C. perfringens antibody levels, recovered when 100 ml of anti alpha-toxin containing 14g IgG/l were given intravenously.