Identification and Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Isolated 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, iA and netB gene. 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. perfringens was isolated at the rate of 34.44% (62/180), and its presence was confirmed by cultural and biochemical characterization. 83.87% (52/62) C. perfringens isolates 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 cpa and negative for cpb, etx and iA. This indicates that all the toxigenic isolates were C. perfringens type A (52/52). Uniplex PCR for detection of NetB toxin 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. perfringens type A was the most predominant etiology of NE without carrying the netB gene.