GENOTYPING OF CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION ISA USEFUL ADJUNCT TO DIAGNOSIS OF CLOSTRIDIAL ENTERIC DISEASE IN ANIMALS

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were developed for detection of the genes for a toxin (cpa), beta toxin (cpb), epsilon toxin (etx), l toxin (iA), and enterotoxin (cpe) in Clostridium perfringens, allowin g classification into genotypes A (positive for cpa), B (positive for cpa, cpb, and etx), C (positive for cpa and cpb), D (positive cpa and etx), or E (positive for cpa and iA). The genotype in isolates of know n toxigenic phenotype (n=131) was identical in 99.2% of cases. Field i solates (n=616) were assigned to genotype A (n=570, 92.7%), genotype B (n=1, 0.1%), genotype C (n=28, 4.5%), genotype D (n=13, 2.1%), and ge notype E (n=4, 0.6%). About 8% (n=50) of the total were PCR-positive f or cpe, with genotype A strains predominant among these. Our results s uggest that PCR genotyping may be an acceptable substitute for in vivo typing of C. perfringens in establishing enteric disease etiology. (C ) 1996 Academic Press.