A comparative study on the use of selective media for the enumeration of Clostridium perfringens in poultry faeces. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hustá, Martina; Ducatelle, Richard; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Van Immerseel, Filip; Goossens, Evy
• Is Part Of: Anaerobe. Volume 63(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Veterinary medical diagnostics -- Poultry -- Clostridium perfringens -- Selective media -- Chromogenic medium; Anaerobic infections -- Periodicals; Anaerobic bacteria -- Periodicals; Bacterial diseases -- Periodicals; Computer network resources; Anaerobic protozoa -- Periodicals; 579.3
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2020.102205
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1075-9964

Abstract

Abstract: Isolation and fast detection of Clostridium perfringens is essential in veterinary medical diagnostics and veterinary research, as it allows to recommend suitable treatment options after antimicrobial resistance determination, and is essential to study pathogenesis. In this study four selective media were tested for the enumeration of, and selectivity towards C. perfringens in faecal samples from poultry. The routinely used Columbia agar with 5% sheep (CBA), Shahidi-Ferguson-perfringens agar (SFP), tryptose sulphite cycloserine agar (TSC), and a novel chromogenic medium, CHROMagar™ C. perfringens (CHCP), were tested. Overall, no difference in C. perfringens recovery could be observed between the selective media. The limit of quantification was 10 3 CFU/mL for all agars. CHCP showed the highest specificity, especially when low C. perfringens loads were present in the faeces, with TSC being the second most specific selective medium. Both CBA and SFP allowed considerable growth of other faecal microbiota and were not specific for C. perfringens. On CHCP, differentiation of C. perfringens from other faecal bacteria was straightforward due to the appearance of C. perfringens as orange colonies, with other bacteria being absent or appearing as blue/green colonies. On TSC, C. perfringens appeared as black colonies, but longer incubation periods were sometimes needed for the black colour to develop. Therefore, CHCP can be recommended when timely and easy identification and enumeration of C. perfringens from complex samples, such as faeces, is needed. Highlights: Same recovery rates of Clostridium perfringens on different selective media. CHROMagar with highest specificity at low Clostridium perfringens concentrations. Clear differentiation of Clostridium perfringens from other bacteria on CHROMagar. Columbia blood agar and Shahidi-Ferguson-perfringens agar not sufficiently selective. Prolonged Clostridium perfringens incubation on tryptose sulphite cycloserine agar.