title: Isolation and characterization of Clostridium perfringens from apparently healthy animals of the Shandong province of China.
abstract: In a pilot study the presence and frequency of Clostridium (C.) perfringens was investigated among apparently healthy farm animals in the Shandong province of China. 748 faecal samples were collected from 9 pig-, 4 sheep-, 7 cattle- and 5 rabbit farms. C. perfringens was isolated from 124 samples (16.6%). The isolates were classified into major toxin types by using PCR analysis detecting the genes encoding these toxins. All isolates were identified as C perfringens toxin type A. There are also some reports from different regions in China linking C. perfringens toxin type A strains to gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore further investigations about the epidemiologic role of C perfringens toxin type A strains in the Shandong region are necessary. Currently, cases of enterotoxemia from this region are investigated for the presence of C perfringens.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong, China. chaitj@sdau.edu.cn
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zucker
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002417:Cattle; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011817:Rabbits; D012756:Sheep; D013552:Swine