Association of iota-like toxin and Clostridium spiroforme with both spontaneous and antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis in rabbits

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Abstract
A helically coiled, anaerobic, gram-positive sporeforming bacillus, identified as C. spiroforme, was isolated from the cecal contents of 27 rabbits with spontaneous diarrhea, at a mean concentration of 106.0 spores/g of material. All of these rabbits had a toxin present in their cecal contents that was neutralized by anti-C. perfringens type E iota toxin, but not by other clostridial antitoxins. Four rabbits with clindamycin-associated colitis were positive for C. spiroforme at a mean concentration of 104.5. All of these animals had iota-like toxin present. Iota-like toxin was not detected in the cecal contents of 72 healthy animals; C. spiroforme was found in 2 of these animals at a mean concentration of 106.0. C. spiroforme produced a toxin in vitro that was lethal to mice and caused dermonecrosis in guinea pigs. In all cases, this toxin was neutralized by anti-C. perfringens type E iota toxin.