Elucidation of critical characteristics of clostridium perfringens and pathogen-host-environment interactions defining susceptibility of poultry to necrotic enteritis

坏死性肠炎(NE)仍然是家禽的一种重要疾病。尽管在过去的30年里进行了大量的研究，但关于肉鸡坏死性病变的潜在病因的问题仍然没有得到解决。根据业内专家的说法，NE是一种重新出现的疾病。此外，由于与亚临床NE相关的巨大隐性经济成本，以及病原体转移到食物链和公共卫生问题的高风险，这一问题被业内专家视为一个主要问题。NE对加拿大和全球家禽业来说是一个非常重要的问题。鉴于目前对本病发病机制的认识还存在较大差距，迫切需要开展NE病原菌特征和病原-宿主相互作用病原学的基础研究。开发更好的方法来控制家禽中的NE肯定具有战略意义。

Necrotic enteritis (NE) remains an important disease in poultry. Despite considerable research over the last 30 years, the issues regarding the underlying etiology of necrotic lesions in broiler chickens still remain unresolved. According to industry experts, NE is a re-emerging disease. Moreover, because of large hidden economic cost associated with sub-clinical NE, and also because of the high risk of pathogen transfer to the food chain and public health concerns, this problem is perceived among the industry experts as a major issue. NE is a problem of significant importance for the Canadian and global poultry industry. Considering the significant gaps in understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, there is an urgent need to initiate basic research on the characteristics of pathogens and on pathogen-host interaction etiology of NE. Development of better means for controlling NE in poultry would definitely be of strategic importance.