Detection of the β2 toxin gene of Clostridium perfringens in diarrhoeic piglets in The Netherlands and Switzerland

Abstract

The two studies presented here were done to determine the prevalence of the α, β, ϵ and enterotoxin genes and the novel β2 toxin gene of Clostridium perfringens in neonatal or pre-weaned piglets with diarrhoea or necrotic enteritis. All C. perfringens isolates were positive for the α and negative for the ϵ and enterotoxin gene, implying that only non-enterotoxigenic type A and C strains were detected. The most important findings were the relatively high prevalence of the β2 toxin gene in isolates from diarrhoeic piglets in both studies, and, in one of the two studies, absence of strains with only the α and β toxin gene. These data are supportive for the suggestion of a causal relationship of β2 toxin-producing strains with digestive tract diseases in piglets.