TOXINOTYPING AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF Clostridium perfringens ISOLATED FROM BROILER CHICKENS WITH NECROTIC ENTERITIS

The toxinotyping and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from chicken with necrotic enteritis were determined. All the 22 C. perfringens belonged to toxinotype A and the MIC values to 14 antimicrobial agents showed that all strains were susceptible to amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, metronidazole and penicillin-streptomycin. Most strains showed high rates of resistance to erythromycin, cephalexin and bacitracin and sulfaquinolaxin. Our results suggest an important role of the alpha -toxin in the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis and new strategies for preventing and controlling the Clostridium perfringens infection in poultry need to be investigated.