Genotyping of Clostridium perfringens isolated from broiler meat in northeastern of Iran

Abstract

<em>Clostridium perfringens</em> is an important cause of bacterial food poisoning worldwide. The disease is caused by <em>C. perfringens</em> enterotoxin (CPE) encoded by <em>cpe</em> gene. The aim of this research was to identify the different types of <em>C. perfringens</em> and the presence of <em>cpe</em> gene in isolated bacteria from broilers' meat marketed in retail meat shops of Mashhad city in Northeastern of Iran. After isolation of <em>C. perfringens</em> using conventional culture method and confirmation by specific 16S rDNA gene, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay with specific primers, were performed for toxin typing of isolates. <em>Clostridium perfringens</em> was isolated from 31 broilers' meat samples (15.50%) out of 200 samples and for toxin typing the results showed 9 isolates as type A (29.03%) and 22 isolates as type C (70.96%). In this study, <em>cpe</em>-positive <em>C. perfringens</em> were detected in eight isolates of type C (25.00%). Our results indicated that <em>C. perfringens</em> type C is the most common type in broiler chicken carcasses.