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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0BMC Veterinary Research

Concurrent infection with Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium septicum and Clostridium perfringens type A in cattle: a case report

  • Naghmeh Davoudzadeh1
  • Azadeh Zahmatkesh2
  • Anahita Emadi3
  • Alireza Cheraghi1
  • Mojtaba Alimolaei4
  • Mehdi Hassanpour5
  • Mohammad Eslampanah6
  • Ali Haghrousta7
  • Mahdi Dehghan Koohestani8
  • Sadegh Afzali4
8 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Biology, SR.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2Department of Anaerobic Bacterial Vaccines Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
  3. 3Department of Bacterial Vaccines Quality Control, Razi vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
  4. 4Research and Development Department, Kerman branch, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Kerman, Iran
  5. 5Department of Diagnosis and Treatment, Mazandaran Provincial Veterinary Service, Iran Veterinary Organization, Sari, Iran
  6. 6Department of Pathology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
  7. 7Department of Microbiology, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
  8. 8Department of Microbiology, KeC, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
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Abstract

Background: Blackleg, caused by Clostridium chauvoei, is an acute, fatal infectious disease characterized by necrotizing myositis and toxemia primarily affecting cattle and sheep. Gas gangrene (malignant edema), a similar necrotizing myositis, is caused by multiple anaerobes including C. chauvoei, C. septicum, and C. perfringens type A, often entering via wounds. Symptoms overlap with blackleg, featuring edema, emphysema, and toxemia, complicating clinical differentiation. Concurrent clostridial infections exacerbate severity, necessitating molecular diagnostics. This study investigated two bovine cases initially suspected as blackleg to identify the etiological agents.

Case Presentation: Specimens from two cows from traditional free-grazing herds in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, were examined. Both exhibited blackleg-like symptoms such as lethargy, lameness, and recumbency with postmortem findings of skeletal muscle necrosis, cyanotic skin, and rancid odor. Bacteriological culture on sheep blood agar yielded grayish colonies with complete (Case #1) or weak (Case #2) hemolysis, with gram-positive bacilli. Histopathology confirmed multifocal necrotizing myositis with leukocyte infiltration and fibrin deposition in both. PCR targeting fliC genes detected C. chauvoei and C. septicum in both cases. Multiplex PCR identified only the cpa gene in Case #2, confirming concurrent C. perfringens type A infection.

Conclusions: Molecular analysis revealed concurrent C. chauvoei and C. septicum infections in both cases, with additional C. perfringens type A in Case #2, diagnosing gas gangrene rather than blackleg, and suggesting the infection propagation from an exogenous route. Morphological and biochemical similarities among these clostridia pose diagnostic challenges, but fliC-based PCR enables accurate differentiation. These findings underscore the need for enhanced surveillance, and development of multivalent vaccines also targeting C. perfringens type A in rural Iranian herds.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{davoudzadeh2026concurrent,
  title = {{Concurrent infection with Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium septicum and Clostridium perfringens type A in cattle: a case report}},
  author = {Naghmeh Davoudzadeh and Azadeh Zahmatkesh and Anahita Emadi and Alireza Cheraghi and Mojtaba Alimolaei and Mehdi Hassanpour and Mohammad Eslampanah and Ali Haghrousta and Mahdi Dehghan Koohestani and Sadegh Afzali},
  journal = {BMC Veterinary Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s12917-026-05780-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05780-6},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Concurrent infection with Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium septicum and Clostridium perfringens type A in cattle: a case report
AU  - Naghmeh Davoudzadeh
AU  - Azadeh Zahmatkesh
AU  - Anahita Emadi
AU  - Alireza Cheraghi
AU  - Mojtaba Alimolaei
AU  - Mehdi Hassanpour
AU  - Mohammad Eslampanah
AU  - Ali Haghrousta
AU  - Mahdi Dehghan Koohestani
AU  - Sadegh Afzali
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/07
JO  - BMC Veterinary Research
DO  - 10.1186/s12917-026-05780-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05780-6
AB  - Background: Blackleg, caused by Clostridium chauvoei, is an acute, fatal infectious disease characterized by necrotizing myositis and toxemia primarily affecting cattle and sheep. Gas gangrene (malignant edema), a similar necrotizing myositis, is caused by multiple anaerobes including C. chauvoei, C. septicum, and C. perfringens type A, often entering via wounds. Symptoms overlap with blackleg, featuring edema, emphysema, and toxemia, complicating clinical differentiation. Concurrent clostridial infections exacerbate severity, necessitating molecular diagnostics. This study investigated two bovine cases initially suspected as blackleg to identify the etiological agents.  Case Presentation: Specimens from two cows from traditional free-grazing herds in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran, were examined. Both exhibited blackleg-like symptoms such as lethargy, lameness, and recumbency with postmortem findings of skeletal muscle necrosis, cyanotic skin, and rancid odor. Bacteriological culture on sheep blood agar yielded grayish colonies with complete (Case #1) or weak (Case #2) hemolysis, with gram-positive bacilli. Histopathology confirmed multifocal necrotizing myositis with leukocyte infiltration and fibrin deposition in both. PCR targeting fliC genes detected C. chauvoei and C. septicum in both cases. Multiplex PCR identified only the cpa gene in Case #2, confirming concurrent C. perfringens type A infection.  Conclusions: Molecular analysis revealed concurrent C. chauvoei and C. septicum infections in both cases, with additional C. perfringens type A in Case #2, diagnosing gas gangrene rather than blackleg, and suggesting the infection propagation from an exogenous route. Morphological and biochemical similarities among these clostridia pose diagnostic challenges, but fliC-based PCR enables accurate differentiation. These findings underscore the need for enhanced surveillance, and development of multivalent vaccines also targeting C. perfringens type A in rural Iranian herds.
SN  - 1746-6148
ER  -