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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
The current study reports occurrence and molecular toxinotyping of Clostridium perfringens isolates in Kashmir valley. A total of 217 feacal samples and intestinal contents of broiler chickens suspected for enteritis were collected and screened for C. perfringens out of which 66 (30.41%) were found positive using Robertson’s cooked meat media and Sulphite Polymixin Sulphadiazine (SPS) agar. The isolates were confirmed by 16S rRNA gene specific PCR and analyzed by multiplex PCR for toxinotyping. All the isolates were found to harbour alpha toxin gene (cpa) of C. perfringens. However, 13 isolates also carried beta2 toxin gene (cpb2). None of the isolates were positive for beta (cpb), epsilon (etx), iota (itx) and enterotoxin (cpe) genes. Highest prevalence was found in chicken with age group of 2-6 weeks. Mortality ranged from 2-4 percent per day. Necropsy of chickens revealed that their intestines were dilated with inflammatory exudates and characterized by mucosal necrosis indicating Clostridium perfringens type A to be the major causative types for necrotic enteritis of broilers in Kashmir, India with significant role of alpha toxin.