Identification and Characterization of Clostridium perfringensIsolated from necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens in Tiaret, Western Algeria

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the presence of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens)in broiler chickens from various locations in Tiaret province, western Algeria, and to characterize the bacterium isolates for the presence of cpa, cpb, etx, iAand netBgene. A total of 180 samples representing intestinal contents of broiler chickens showing enteric disorder symptoms and lesions suspected to be Necrotic Enteritis (NE) were analyzed by conventional methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). C. perfringenswas isolated at the rate of 34.44% (62/180), and its presence was confirmed by cultural and biochemical characterization. 83.87% (52/62) C. perfringensisolates were toxigenic and 16.13% (10/62) were non-toxigenic. Multiplex PCR was performed to toxinotype the 52 toxigenic isolates, and the results showed that all isolates were positive for the gene cpaand negative for cpb, etxand iA. This indicates that allthe toxigenic isolates were C. perfringenstype A (52/52). Uniplex PCR for detection of NetBtoxin gene was carried out on 22 type A isolates, and these results showed none of the isolates as positive for the gene netB. This result indicates that the C. perfringenstype A was the most predominant etiology of NE without carrying the net B gene.