Comparative aspects of proliferative enteritis

Abstract

P roliferative enteritis (PE) or enteropathy is an enteric disease that develops in a number of animals.Much of the literature focuses on the disease in swine I and hamsters.2 Indeed, the disease is a substantial problem in swine and is estimated to cost the industry $20/sow annually in Australia 3 and $20 million annually in the United States' Between 15 and 30% of herds have been estimated to be affected in endemic areas, with a 5 to 20% infection rate within a herd.'•6Proliferative enteritis was reported as an important disease in laboratory-reared hamsters (commonly referred to as wet-tail in hamsters) from the 1960s to the 1980s.2 ,7.8However, its importance in laboratory facilities may have waned in recent years 9 . 12In addition to swine and hamsters, PE has been observed in a variety of animals, including rodents, such as rats 13 and guinea pigs'"; rabbits IS; ungulates other than swine, such as whitetailed deer,'6 sheep,'7 and horses '8 ; carnivores, including arctic foxes 1 9 ferrets 20.21 and dogs 22 .nonhuman primates