PCR detection and prevalence of alpha-, beta-, beta 2-, epsilon-, iota- and enterotoxin genes in Clostridium perfringens isolated from lambs with clostridial dysentery

Clostridium perfringens isolated from lambs with dysentery (n = 117) were a nalysed by a DNA amplification technique, the polymerase chain reaction (PC R), in order to determine the prevalence of the alpha-, beta-, beta2, epsil on-, iota- and enterotoxin genes. The most prevalent toxin type of C. perfr ingens found was type B, containing the alpha-, beta-, and epsilon -toxin g enes, representing 46% of the cases with clostridial dysentery. C. perfring ens type C containing the alpha-, and beta -toxin genes was isolated in 20% and type D, which is characterized by the alpha- and epsilon -toxin genes, was isolated in 28% of all isolates. The recently discovered, not yet assi gned beta2-toxigenic type of C perfringens was represented in 6% of all iso lates. No C. perfringens type A containing the alpha -toxin alone and no ty pe E, which harbours the ADP-ribosylating iota -toxin, were found in the di seased animals. None of the samples contained the enterotoxin gene. Only on e type of C perfringens was found in a given herd, revealing the epidemiolo gical use of PCR toxin gene typing of C, perfringens. The animals originate d from 79 different herds with sizes ranging from 30 to 250 animals, bred i n the area of northern Greece. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.