Tyzzer's disease

Tyzzer's disease is an acute epizootic bacterial disease found in rodents, rabbits, dogs, cats, birds, pandas, deer, foals, cattle, and other mammals including gerbils and spinifex hopping-mice (Notomys alexis). It is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium piliforme, formerly known as Bacillus piliformis. It is an infectious disease characterized by necrotic lesions on the liver, is usually fatal, and is present worldwide. Animals with the disease become infected through oral ingestion of the bacterial spores and usually die within a matter of days. Animals most commonly affected include young, stressed animals in laboratory environments, such as immature rodents and rabbits. Most commonly affected wild animals include muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) and occasionally cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.). Even today, much remains unknown about Tyzzer's disease, including how and why it occurs.