Prevalence, Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Clostridium perfringens Type A and D Isolated from Feces of Sheep (Ovis aries) and Goats (Capra hircus) in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens poses a serious threat to small ruminants by causing moderate to severe enterotoxaemia. Due to its ability to produce a wide arsenal of toxins, it is ranked among the most prevalent and important pathogens in livestock. This study focused on the molecular characterization of different Clostridium perfringens types along with their antimicrobial resistance profile. An overall higher prevalence of C. perfringens (46.1%) was detected based on mPCR among sheep and goats (healthy and diseased) in the Punjab province, Pakistan. The majority of the isolates were characterized as type A (82%), followed by type D (18%). Among the isolates from diseased sheep and goats, 27% were positive for cpa, 49% for cpa and cpb2, 9% for cpa and etx, 15% for cpa, cpb2 and etx. In the case of isolates from healthy sheep and goats, 59% were positive for cpa, 34% for cpb2 and cpa, 4% for cpa and etx, and 3% for cpa, cpb2 and etx. The prevalence of the beta2 toxin gene in the diseased sheep and goat population was 64% as compared to 37% in healthy animals. All 184 isolates (100%) were sensitive to rifampin and ceftiofur; the majority (57%) was sensitive to teicoplanin, chloramphenicol, amoxicillin, linezolid and enrofloxacin. A lower proportion of isolates (43%) were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and only 14% were susceptible to erythromycin. The findings of this study highlight the higher prevalence of C. perfringens in small ruminants and indicate that detailed pathogenesis studies are necessary to understand the explicit role of various toxins in causing enteric infections in sheep and goats including how they might be exploited to develop vaccines against these diseases.

Clostridium perfringens Types A and D Involved in Peracute Deaths in Goats Kept in Cholistan Ecosystem During Winter Season

“…Neither type B nor C was found using specific primers when singlet and multiplex PCR was carried out. This is in agreement with previously reported type A and D toxinotypes isolated from sheep and goats from Punjab province of Pakistan (33). A previous study reported from Turkey has also shown only types A and D prevalent in sheep, examined by multiplex PCR; of these, 95% belonged to type A, and the remaining 5% were type D (51).…”

“…Preliminary clinical ailments, necropsy lesions, and histopathological findings are important and suitable tools, which help in disease diagnosis. Previously, a few epidemiological reports are available about the prevalence of enterotoxemia in goats (33). Therefore, this study describes the exact pathogenesis of enterotoxemia in goats and reports the types of C. perfringens toxins involved in the outbreak of this disease kept under desert conditions of Southern Punjab, Pakistan.…”

Animal Model Studies, Antibiotic Resistance and Toxin Gene Profile of NE Reproducing Clostridium perfringens Type A and Type G Strains Isolated from Commercial Poultry Farms in China

“…Morphologically identified characteristic colonies of C. perfringens on blood agar, perfringens agar, and egg yolk agar were confirmed biochemically through sugar fermentation reactions, gelatin liquefaction, and nitrate reduction tests. Pure colonies of C. perfringens fermented glucose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose, liquefied gelatin, and reduced nitrate while mannitol was found non-fermentative as reported earlier [ 29 ].…”

“…There is much difference in the isolation rate of C. perfringens types across different regions, i.e., there are variations in the prevalence rates of C. perfringens [ 36 ]; likewise, type A is the predominant type in many countries including China, Pakistan etc. [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 37 , 38 ]. The high prevalence of alpha gene (type A) also signifies the importance of incorporating this toxinotype in vaccine strains along with type G and also suggests the use of an oil-based/montanide adjuvanted vaccine, rather than water-based alum precipitated vaccines, as proven successful in case of other clinically important diseases in Pakistan [ 39 ].…”

Prevalence of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile carrying cpa, tcdA toxin genes in raw meat and leafy vegetables

“…Phát hiện C. difficile 25 g mỗi mẫu được đồng nhất trong 75 mL môi trường BHI (bổ sung 8 µg cefoxitin/mL, 250 µg cycloserine/mL và 0,1% taurocholate), trong 37°C/72h trong điều kiện kị khí. Dung dịch sau tăng sinh được cấy trên môi trường Chromagar agar C. difficile, các khuẩn lạc phát quang được xác định là C. difficile[5][6][7], khẳng định song song cùng kỹ thuật MALDI TOF[9].2.4.3. Xác định vi khuẩn C. perfringens và C. difficile mang gen sinh độc tốXác định vi khuẩn C. perfringens mang gen cpa bằng kỹ thuật PCR dựa trên độ dài đoạn gen khuếch đại.…”