Method for detecting

1. A method for detecting and then treating C. perfringens induced diseases in animals, comprising:

a) collecting sample material of a specific animal at consecutive points in time or of a specific group of animals at consecutive points in time;

b) determining the amount of a first marker and a second marker contained in the sample material; and

c) determining the ratio of the first marker to the second marker contained in the sample material;

wherein the first marker is a gene specific for a disease-inducing C. perfringens bacterium selected from the group consisting of:

i) cpe toxin (cpe); cpe homologues that are at least 90% identical to wildtype cpe; and cpe fragments that, relative to the wildtype cpe, are truncated by not more than 100 nucleotides;

ii) beta-toxin (cpb); cpb homologues that are at least 90% identical to wildtype cpb; and cpb fragments that, relative to the wildtype cpb, are truncated by not more than 100 nucleotides;

iii) epsilon toxin (etx); homologues that are at least 90% identical to wildtype etx; and etx fragments that, relative to the wildtype etx, are truncated by not more than 100 nucleotides;

iv) netF toxin (netF); netF homologues that are at least 90% identical to wildtype netF; and netF fragments that, relative to the wildtype netF, are truncated by not more than 100 nucleotides;

v) netB toxin (netB); homologues that are at least 90% identical to wildtype netB; and netB fragments that, relative to the wildtype netB, are truncated by not more than 100 nucleotides;

and the second marker comprises a polynucleotide specific for the species C. perfringens ; and

wherein an increase in the ratio of the first marker to the second marker in the analyzed sample material over time is an indication of C. perfringens induced disease;

d) administering a therapeutic agent or a health-promoting substance to animals identified in step c) as having C. perfringens induced disease, wherein said therapeutic agent or health-promoting substance is selected from the group consisting of: an antibiotic agent; a probiotic agent; a prebiotic agent; an organic/fatty acid; a bacteriophage; and a bacteriolytic enzyme.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first marker is located on a toxin plasmid of C. perfringens and the second marker is located on the C. perfringens chromosome.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second marker is cpa.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sample material is obtained from an avian flock.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second marker is cpa.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sample material is obtained from an avian flock.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample material is a pooled sample selected from the group consisting of: dust samples; litter samples; liquid manure samples; fur samples; feather samples; skin samples; samples of bodily excrements; and solutions or suspensions thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample material is pooled feces.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first marker and the second marker in the sample material are detected and quantified by PCR.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C. perfringens induced disease is necrotic enteritis.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the necrotic enteritis is in a sub-clinical or latent state.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first marker is netB, the second marker is cpa and the C. perfringens induced disease is necrotic enteritis.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said first marker and said second marker are quantitated by PCR using a PCR primer and/or a PCR probe selected from the group consisting of:

a) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3;

b) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:4;

c) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5;

d) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:6;

e) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:7;

f) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:8;

g) oligonucleotides that are complementary to the full length of one or more oligonucleotides of paragraphs (a) to (f).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the oligonucleotides of paragraphs a)-h) are selected from the group consisting of:

a) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3;

b) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:4;

c) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5;

d) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:6;

e) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:7;

f) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:8;

g) oligonucleotides that are complementary to the full length of one or more oligonucleotides of paragraphs (a) to (f).

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said method is carried out using a diagnostic kit comprising at least one primer and at least one probe for detecting netB and cpa.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said at least one primer and said at least one probe for detecting netB and cpa comprise one or more oligonucleotides selected from the group consisting of:

a) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3;

b) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:4;

c) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5;

d) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:6;

e) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:7;

f) oligonucleotides comprising a sequence identity of at least 80% to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:8;

g) oligonucleotides that are complementary to the full length of one or more oligonucleotides of paragraphs (a) to (f).

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said oligonucleotides are selected from the group consisting of:

a) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:3;

b) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:4;

c) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:5;

d) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:6;

e) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:7;

f) oligonucleotides comprising a 100% sequence identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:8;

g) oligonucleotides that are complementary to the full length of one or more oligonucleotides of paragraphs (a) to (f).

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample material is obtained from an avian flock and is a pooled sample selected from the group consisting of: dust samples; litter samples; liquid manure samples; feather samples; skin samples; samples of bodily excrements; and solutions or suspensions thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first marker and the second marker in the sample material are detected and quantified by PCR and the C. perfringens induced disease is necrotic enteritis.