Identification of enterototxin harboring gene among Clostridium perfringens isolates with different toxin types in Iran

Background: Clostridium perfringens is known as the most widely distributed pathogenic microorganism in nature. It is an extremely important pathogen of human and domestic animals. In a commonly used classification scheme, C. perfringens is divided into five toxinotypes (A to E) based on the production of four major toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon, and iota). Enterotoxin is not usually used for C. perfringens typing but it is a fatal toxin with necrotic activity. Based on our knowledge there is no published scientific report regarding identification of enterotoxin positive C. perfringens isolates from animals in Iran. OBJECTIVES: To study the presence and frequency of enterotoxin gene among C. perfringence isolates with different types. METHODS: A specific single PCR assay was developed and used for detection of cpe gene to identify the entrerotoxin  harboring isolates among different types of C. perfringens isolated from animal enteric diseases in Iran. RESULTS: It was found that cpe gene presents among C.perfringens isolates types A, B, C  and D with  63.6% (7/11), 25%  ( 5/20),  21.4% (3/14), 53.3% (8/15),  respectively. Totally 23 of 60 ( 38.3%) isolates screened by PCR were cpe-positive. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of cpe- positive isolates of C.perfringens causing enterototoxemia  in animals in Iran. Further studies to investigate the synergistic effect of CPE toxin in pathogenesis of enteric diseases in animals is suggested.