Moleculer characterization and isolation of clostridium perfringens from broilers

The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalance of Clostridium perfringens in broilers which was brought for slaughter to 3 different slaughterhouses from 100 different broiler flocks in Elazig and Malatya provinces by conventional culture and PCR techniques. For this aim, 30 coops which were located in Malatya were visited during the growing period of broilers. A total of 500 intestines and 500 livers have been collected. Toxin genotyping were performed by using multiplex-PCR to the Alfa-toxin (α), beta-toxin (β), epsilon-toxin (ε), iota- toxin (ι), enterotoxin (Cpe), β2 toxin genes. Besides all isolates were analysed for the NetB toxin gene using PCR. Also, a total of 61 isolates collected from different coops in Elazig and Malatya provinces were genotyped by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) technique. Band profiles were analysed using the Gel Compare II software (version3.0; Applied Maths, Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium). The dendogram of PFGE profiles was established and clustering analysis was performed. The prevalance of C. perfringens was detected as 66% in broilers located in Elazig and Malatya provinces. 657 out of 660 C. perfringens isolates was detected as positive for Alfa-toxin (α) while none of the other toxin genes could identified. It has not been genotyped the rest 3 samples. NetB toxin gene couldn't detected in none of the isolates examined. Thirty different PFGE genotypes were detected and a heterogeneous distribution was seen. Both NetB toxin gene and the PFGE profiles of C. perfringens isolates were investigated in broilers for the first time in Turkey in the current study.