scholarly journals Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Association with Toxin Determinants in Clostridium perfringens Isolates from Chickens

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1825
Author(s):  
Bai Wei ◽  
Se-Yeoun Cha ◽  
Jun-Feng Zhang ◽  
Ke Shang ◽  
Hae-Chul Park ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to investigate variation in antimicrobial resistance in Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) isolated from chickens after withdrawal of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs); and to investigate the correlation between the presence of toxin genes (cpb2, netB, and tpeL) and antimicrobial resistance. Altogether, 162 isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from chickens displaying clinical signs of necrotic enteritis (n = 65) and from healthy chickens (n = 97) in Korea during 2010–2016. Compared to before AGP withdrawal, increased antimicrobial resistance or MIC50/MIC90 value was observed for nine antimicrobials including penicillin, tetracycline, tylosin, erythromycin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, monensin, salinomycin, and maduramycin. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher resistance to gentamicin, clindamycin, and virginiamycin was found in isolates from chickens with necrotic enteritis compared to those from healthy chickens. tpeL gene was not detected in C. perfringens isolates from healthy chickens. A correlation between toxin gene prevalence and antibiotic resistance was found in the C. perfringens isolates. Because the usage of antimicrobials may contribute to the selection of both resistance and toxin genes, these can potentially make it challenging to control antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic colonies. Therefore, a more complete understanding of the interplay between resistance and virulence genes is required.

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (04) ◽  
pp. 1367-1372
Author(s):  
Zain Ul Abadeen

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is one of the important enteric disease in the poultry industry worldwide, caused by C. perfringens type A. This study describes the isolation, identification, and toxinotyping of C. perfringens in necrotic enteritis affected broiler chicken in Pakistan. A total of 430 intestinal samples from dead carcasses and birds suspected of NE outbreak, in and around Faisalabad, Pakistan were collected from 36 broiler farms which yielded 87 alpha toxin gene (cpa) positive C. perfringens type A isolates. The birds having 4-5 weeks of age, clinical signs, and reared in open (conventional) sheds showed higher C. perfringens isolation rate. The study concluded netB negative C. perfringens type A as a causative agent for NE outbreaks in broiler birds in Faisalabad, Pakistan.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1718
Author(s):  
Zuamí Villagrán-de la Mora ◽  
María Esther Macías-Rodríguez ◽  
Jenny Arratia-Quijada ◽  
Yesica Sughey Gonzalez-Torres ◽  
Karla Nuño ◽  
...  

Clostridium perfringens (Cp.) is the cause of human foodborne desease. Meat and poultry products are identified as the main source of infection for humans. Cp. can be found in poultry litter, feces, soil, dust, and healthy birds’ intestinal contents. Cp. strains are known to secrete over 20 identified toxins and enzymes that could potentially be the principal virulence factors, capable of degrading mucin, affecting enterocytes, and the small intestine epithelium, involved in necrotic enteritis (NE) pathophysiology, also leading to immunological responses, microbiota modification and anatomical changes. Different environmental and dietary factors can determine the colonization of this microorganism. It has been observed that the incidence of Cp-associated to NE in broilers has increased in countries that have stopped using antibiotic growth promoters. Since the banning of such antibiotic growth promoters, several strategies for Cp. control have been proposed, including dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, phytogenics, organic acids, and vaccines. However, there are aspects of the pathology that still need to be clarified to establish better actions to control and prevention. This paper reviews the current knowledge about Cp. as foodborne pathogen, the pathophysiology of NE, and recent findings on potential strategies for its control.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 2593
Author(s):  
Felipe Masiero Salvarani ◽  
Mayane Faccin ◽  
Nayra Fernanda de Queiroz Ramos Freitas ◽  
Mônica Regina de Matos ◽  
Edismair Carvalho Garcia ◽  
...  

This work describes the first Brazilian laboratory-confirmed outbreak of enterotoxemia caused by Clostridium perfringens type D in sheep, which occurred in the state of Paraná. We address the epidemiological aspects involved, the diagnostic modalities employed, and the clinical signs and pathological findings observed. Eight healthy pregnant female sheep with no history of vaccination for clostridiosis presented with a history of abrupt feeding changes and neurological manifestations that quickly evolved to illness, coma and death. Four other females with clinical neurological signs were referred to the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal do Paraná, Palotina Sector. These animals presented with lethargy, motor incoordination, opisthotonus, pedal movements, muscle tremors, spastic paralysis, bruxism, mandibular trismus, sialorrhea, hyperexcitability and the inability to stand. They were examined and euthanized due to the seriousness of the clinical picture with an unfavorable prognosis. We performed gross anatomical and microscopic analyses of the organs and intestinal contents. We also performed bacterial isolation with molecular typing. From the intestinal contents, we detected toxins by means of the seroneutralization technique in mice. At necropsy, we noted pulmonary edema (2/4), necrotizing enteritis (4/4) and hyperemia of the leptomeninges (1/4). Microscopically, we observed lymphohistiocytic interstitial pneumonia, necrotic enteritis associated with the presence of rods, and nephrosis with interstitial lymphohistiocytic nephritis. No significant brain lesions were observed. Using serum neutralization, we identified epsilon toxin in the intestinal contents of all four animals. C. perfringens type D was identified. Based on the history, clinical signs, postmortem findings, and laboratory confirmation of the presence of epsilon toxin, we concluded that C. perfringens type D enterotoxemia caused this outbreak of sheep deaths.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (21) ◽  
pp. 7110-7113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiduo Si ◽  
Joshua Gong ◽  
Yanming Han ◽  
Hai Yu ◽  
John Brennan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cell proliferation and alpha-toxin gene expression of Clostridium perfringens in relation to the development of necrotic enteritis (NE) were investigated. Unlike bacitracin-treated chickens, non-bacitracin-treated birds exhibited typical NE symptoms and reduced growth performance. They also demonstrated increased C. perfringens proliferation and alpha-toxin gene expression that were positively correlated and progressed according to the regression model y = b 0 + b 1 X − b 2 X 2. The average C. perfringens count of 5 log10 CFU/g in the ileal digesta appears to be a threshold for developing NE with a lesion score of 2.


2020 ◽  
pp. 030098582097178
Author(s):  
Llorenç Grau-Roma ◽  
Mauricio Navarro ◽  
Sohvi Blatter ◽  
Christian Wenker ◽  
Sonja Kittl ◽  
...  

Several outbreaks of necrotic enteritis-like disease in lorikeets, from which Clostridium perfringens was consistently isolated, are described. All lorikeets had acute, segmental, or multifocal fibrinonecrotizing inflammatory lesions in the small and/or the large intestine, with intralesional gram-positive rods. The gene encoding C. perfringens alpha toxin was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in 20 out of 24 affected lorikeets (83%), but it was not amplified from samples of any of 10 control lorikeets ( P < .0001). The second most prevalent C. perfringens toxin gene detected was the beta toxin gene, which was found in FFPE from 7 out of 24 affected lorikeets (29%). The other toxin genes were detected inconsistently and in a relatively low number of samples. These cases seem to be associated with C. perfringens, although the specific type involved could not be determined.


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUIXIA LI ◽  
PANPAN WANG ◽  
JIALIN ZHAO ◽  
LUHONG ZHOU ◽  
PENGFEI ZHANG ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate the toxin gene profile and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from raw chicken in the People's Republic of China. In total, 289 S. aureus isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and genes encoding enterotoxins, exfoliative toxins, Panton-Valentine leukocidin, and toxic shock syndrome toxin were revealed by PCR. Overall, 46.0% of the isolates were positive for one or more toxin genes. A high proportion of toxin genes were pvl (26.6%), followed by sej (12.5%), sea (9.0%), seh (8.3%), seb (6.9%), sec (6.9%), sed (4.8%), sei (3.1%), and see (2.4%). None of the isolates harbored seg, tsst-1, or exfoliative toxin genes. In total, 29 toxin gene profiles were obtained, and pvl (10.7%) was the most frequent genotype, followed by sea (5.9%), seb (4.8%), and sej (4.2%). Furthermore, 99.7% of the strains were resistant to at least one of the tested antimicrobial agents, and 87.2% of them displayed multidrug resistance. Resistance was most frequently observed to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin (86.2% for each), followed by tetracycline (69.9%), amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (45.0%), and ampicillin (42.6%). None of the strains were resistant to vancomycin. This study indicates that S. aureus isolates from raw chicken harbored multiple toxin genes and exhibited multiple antimicrobial resistance, which represents a potential health hazard for consumers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Profeta ◽  
Cristina E. Di Francesco ◽  
Andrea Di Provvido ◽  
Massimo Scacchia ◽  
Alessandra Alessiani ◽  
...  

Clostridium perfringens type G is one of the pathogens involved in enteric diseases in poultry. NetB, a pore-forming toxin, is considered the main virulence factor responsible for necrotic enteritis during C. perfringens infection. We carried out a field study involving 14 farms to evaluate the occurrence of netB-positive C. perfringens and the impact of infection in Italian poultry flocks. Environmental samples ( n = 117) and 50 carcasses were screened by microbiologic and molecular methods. Microbiologic investigations yielded 82 C. perfringens isolates. DNA was extracted from all samples and screened for α-toxin and NetB encoding genes by real-time PCR. The C. perfringens α-toxin gene was detected in 151 of 167 extracts (90.4%), and 31 of 151 (20.5%) were netB gene positive also. Sixteen isolates from a turkey flock with mild enteric disorders were also netB positive, demonstrating their occurrence not only in broiler but also in turkey flocks. A pulsed-field gel electrophoresis protocol was optimized to evaluate the diversity among isolates and revealed high genetic heterogeneity. The complete NetB toxin-coding gene of 2 C. perfringens isolates from turkey and broiler flocks were analyzed and showed very high relatedness with analogous sequences worldwide.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary D Barton

Antimicrobial resistance in veterinary isolates came to renewed prominence in the late 1990s in response to the recognition of an association between the use of avoparcin as a growth promotant in livestock feeds and vanA vancomycin resistance in enterococcal pathogens in humans 1. Since then there have been many regulatory changes in many countries that have resulted in a reduction in use of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in livestock feeds. The EU has banned the use of most growth promoters and in Australia post-JETACAR avoparcin (a glycopeptide) has been voluntarily withdrawn from the market by the manufacturer (in 2000), recommendations have been made to restrict the use of virginiamycin (a streptogrammin) to a prescription-only medicine for treatment and prevention of some specific conditions, and a review of macrolide AGPs is in the wings. In addition, many of the industries have voluntarily reduced or ceased their use of some of these products. For example, the pig industry stopped use of avoparcin in 1997 and the use of virginiamycin has been curtailed in the meat chicken industry.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (11) ◽  
pp. 6855-6865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Han ◽  
Xiang-Dang Du ◽  
Luke Southey ◽  
Dieter M. Bulach ◽  
Torsten Seemann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBacitracins are mixtures of structurally related cyclic polypeptides with antibiotic properties. They act by interfering with the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall. In this study, we analyzed an avian necrotic enteritis strain ofClostridium perfringensthat was resistant to bacitracin and produced NetB toxin. We identified a bacitracin resistance locus that resembled a bacitracin resistance determinant fromEnterococcus faecalis. It contained the structural genesbcrABDand a putative regulatory gene,bcrR. Mutagenesis studies provided evidence that bothbcrAandbcrBare essential for bacitracin resistance, and that evidence was supported by the results of experiments in which the introduction of both thebcrAandbcrBgenes into a bacitracin-susceptibleC. perfringensstrain was required to confer bacitracin resistance. The wild-type strain was shown to contain at least three large, putatively conjugative plasmids, and thebcrRABDlocus was localized to an 89.7-kb plasmid, pJIR4150. This plasmid was experimentally shown to be conjugative and was sequenced. The sequence revealed that it also carries atpeLtoxin gene and is related to the pCW3 family of conjugative antibiotic resistance and toxin plasmids fromC. perfringens. Thebcrgenes were located on a genetic element, ICECp1, which is related to the Tn916family of integrative conjugative elements (ICEs). ICECp1appears to be the first Tn916-like element shown to confer bacitracin resistance. In summary, we identified in a toxin-producingC. perfringensstrain a novel mobile bacitracin resistance element which was experimentally shown to be essential for bacitracin resistance and is carried by a putative ICE located on a conjugative plasmid.


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