title: Occurrence and prevalence of Clostridium perfringens in polar bears from Svalbard, Norway.
abstract: To obtain insight into the occurrence and prevalence of Clostridium perfringens and its major toxins in polar bears (Ursus maritimus), we took fecal samples for bacteriologic analysis from live-captured bears in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, in 2001. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 40 of 92 samples (44%). Thirty strains were further characterized by determining toxin type and were classified to be type A, while one was also positive for the gene encoding beta2-toxin. Despite the fact that C. perfringens type A has been associated with fatal diseases in several animal species as well as in humans, our data indicate that C. perfringens type A is an normal inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of polar bears.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Freie Universität Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany. jores@web.de
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jores
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Derocher
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Staubach
authors.forename: Ansgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aschfalk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D001503:Ursidae / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins