by Valerie Johnson

Created on: August 30, 2008   Last Updated: November 09, 2009

You may have never heard of it, but if you own small animals, such as rabbits or hamsters, you need to know all you can about it. It is Tyzzer's disease. It has no cure and is almost always 100% fatal. Rare cases have been known to survive, but they are left far from healthy.

Tyzzer's disease, an acute bacterial infection in animals, is named after Ernest Tyzzer who first discovered the bacteria in 1917 among Japanese Waltzing mice. It is most commonly seen in rabbits, muskrats, hamsters, gerbils, and mice. It has also occurred spontaneously in foals. Tyzzer's disease is rare among dogs, cats, and calves, although it has been seen in combination with other diseases in these animals.

The offending bacterium is called Clostridium piliforme, which forms spores that can be spread most likely through a fecal-oral route. The exact nature of how the spores are spread is not fully understood but appears to be prevalent in soiled bedding, food, and water. Research indicates that the spores can survive on soiled bedding for up to one year. Keeping your animals' environment clean should be a top priority.

Tyzzer's disease has been documented world wide and in a variety of animals. Those most at risk include the young, immuno-compromised, or stressed from such things such as capture, change of environment, shipping, or poor sanitation. Rabbits who have been given sulfonamides are at increased risk.Tyzzer's disease is a fast-spreading and highly contagious infection. Most animals are found either comatose or dead before symptoms appear.

Symptoms are difficult to recognize because of the rapid course of the disease but may include:

*watery diarrhea
*poor appetite
*lethargy
*dehydration
*fecal staining around the anal area
*depression
*scruffy hair coats
*jaundice
*seizures
*coma

Tyzzer's disease also causes lesions in the liver, intestines, and rarely, the heart. These lesions cause tissue death of the involved organs.

Treatment options are limited. Clostridium piliforme does appear to have some sensitivity to tetracycline, streptomycin, erythromycin and penicillin. This sensitivity, however, does not guarantee that the antibiotics will work on eradicating the bacteria as it has proved to be extremely resilient. Supportive treatments for symptoms such as fluids for dehydration, temperature control, and diet are usually the only treatment. Death occurs quickly in most animals, and those that do survive are often plagued with other health problems such as anorexia, weight loss, and

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