Short communication PREVALENCE OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS TYPE A ISOLATES IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF BROILER CHICKENS

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is an important pathogen in both human and veterinary medicine. Necrotic enteritis is the most severe clinical bacterial enteric disease of poultry induced by C. perfringens. Study was done on 100 broiler chickens (400 different tissues of chickens) in Southwest Iran. C. perfringens was isolated from different tissues of chickens (meats, liver, gizzard and intestine) using bacterial culture methods. DNA extraction from grown colonies was carried out by boiling method and finally, PCR assay was used for definitive diagnosis of type A C. perfringens. The results of present study showed that from 400 different tissues of chickens 169 (42.25%) samples were positive for C. perfringens infection that is a comparatively high prevalence of C. perfringens. The highest rate of C. perfringens infection in tissues was in intestine (55%) and meat (42%). The high prevalence of type A C. perfringens in different tissues observed in the present study is very disturbing, as it can cause irreparable damage to the poultry industry and human health.