Vol. 9, Issue 2, Part G (2024)

In the present study total of 25 faecal samples were collected from organized pig farms around Shirwal, Maharashtra from severe diarrheic neonatal piglets. The diarrhoeal faecal samples were processed for anaerobic cultivation by inoculating in RCM broth and further streaked on Clostridial agar with Tryptose sulphite cycloserine supplements (TSC) which showed black colour colonies. Further DNA was extracted from the isolates and was subjected for confirmation of C. perfringens by carrying out 16S rRNA PCR (species specific PCR). Isolates confirmed by species specific PCR were further used for toxinotyping.

Molecular characterization revealed that, total 16 isolates were positive for C. perfringens by 16S rRNA PCR (species specific PCR) showing an amplicon size of 481 bp on 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. Toxinotyping of the 16 isolates, revealed the presence of cpa gene in all the isolates showing an amplicon size of 324 bp which is one of the major toxins of C. perfringens and is the suspected cause of neonatal diarrhoea.