The definition of gut health and identification of markers

It is generally accepted that necrotic enteritis is a disease of poultry, and that the causative agent is NetB positive Clostridium perfringens. Nevertheless, the mere administration of a pathogenic Clostridium perfringens strain to susceptible broilers does not allow the disease to reproduce. Conversely, NetB positive Clostridium perfringens can be cultured from the intestine of perfectly healthy broilers. Intestinal health is a term that is not yet clearly defined, despite that it has been a