FASTest® C. perfringens Toxin is a rapid immunochromatographic test for the qualitative detection of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin in the feces of the dog, cat, goat and sheep lamb, calf, foal and piglet.

The gram positive anaerobic bacterium Clostridium perfringens belongs to the intestinal flora of many pets and farm animals and is facultative pathogenic. Inconvenient endogeneous (other basic diseases, diarrhoea pathogens, antibiotic therapies with massive reduction of intestinal flora etc.) and exogeneous (farming conditions, extreme changes of the food, stress etc.) factors can disturb the floral balance within the gut enabling C. perfringens to reproduce actively. Next to its ability to form extremely infectious and stable spores, the formation of lethal toxins is crucial for its pathogenicity.

The classification into types A–E is based on the different toxins that are produced. These toxins can cause extremely variable (mild to lethal progression forms) failures of the intestinal water and electrolyte balance in the different species like goat, sheep (e. g. dysenteria of lambs: type B; pulpy kidney disease: type D), cattle (haemorrhagic enteritis: type A–E), foal (haemorrhagic necrotising enteritis: type A & C) and piglet (e.g. serous-catarrhal enteritis: type A, necrotising enteritis: type C).

In the dog, especially serotype A occurs, producing 2 main toxins (toxin Alpha [α] and a Clostridia enterotoxin [CPE]), rarer serotype B (toxin Beta [β]). Both C. perfringens and its CPE can also be detected in healthy dog’s feces. The CPE can be detected more often in dogs with diarrhoea compared to healthy dogs. For cats, to date reliable literature data concerning prevalence and clinical relevance are missing. Only by detection of C. perfringens in the feces, a disease caused by Clostridia is not diagnosable. Further investigation is necessary.

In a study in Switzerland, 54 % of the C. perfringens isolates showed a reduced sensitivity towards metronidazole or 18 % towards tetracycline. Because there is a general risk of resistance formation, it is recommended to identify the triggering pathogen in principle. By its high sensitivity and specificity, the use of FASTest® C. perfringens Toxin allows the veterinarian a rapid aetiological on-site diagnosis of a C. perfringens infection and subsequently the initiation of therapy as well as of necessary quarantine and prophylaxis measures.