Prevalence and Toxinotyping of the Toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in Sheep with suspected Enterotoxemia

The study was designed to determine the types of Clostridium perfringens and their toxins in sheep with suspected enterotoxemia in AlAhsa province, KSA. Out of 240 intestinal content samples collected from dead sheep with suspected enterotoxemia, 34 Clostridial strains were isolated. Diagnosis was based on classical diagnostic tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the types and toxins of C. perfringens. All isolates exhibited characteristics of Clostridium perfringens. Subsequently, molecular typing of the bacterial isolates was performed by multiplex PCR. Genotyping of isolated strains revealed that, 18 (52.94%) were type A, 2 (5.8 %), were type B, 6 (17.64 %), were type C and 8 (23.52%) were type D. Based on the ELISA results, 73 (30.41%) intestinal content samples were positive for the toxins produced by C. perfringens. Clostridium perfringens type A and D were the dominant types in cases of enterotoxemia in sheep in AlAhsa province detected by ELISA and multiplex PCR tests. The enterotoxaemia causes considerable economic loss to the sheep industry. Therefore, it is recommended that a proper vaccination schedule against enterotoxemia should be implemented for sheep flocks in Ahsa province. These vaccines should provide adequate protective immunity against all C. perfringens types specially types A and D. [Fayez M.M; Al Musallam A.; Al Marzoog, A.; and Suleiman, M. B. Prevalence and Toxinotyping of the Toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in Sheep with suspected Enterotoxemia. Nat Sci 2013;11(8):15-21]. (ISSN: 1545-0740). http://www.sciencepub.net/nature. 3