Antibiotic Sensitivity of Clostridium perfringens Isolated From Faeces in Tabriz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Clostridium perfringens, a Gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium that produces at least 16 virulence factors including 12 toxins (α-ν), enterotoxin, hemolysin and neuraminidase, can create variable pathogenic condition, ranging from a food poisoning to life-threatening myonecrosis. Among C. perfringens strains, resistance to the drug choices such as penicillin as well as to alternatives of penicillin like metronidazole and clindamycin has also been observed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the resistance of isolated toxigenic and non-toxigenic C. perfringens strains against common antimicrobial agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive study, a total of 136 stool specimens were collected. At first, cooked meat medium enrichment method was performed on samples at 45°C. Thereafter, a loopful of the enriched culture was transferred to blood agar and incubated anaerobically at 37°C for 24-72 hours. Colonies with double zone of hemolysis were identified by different biochemical tests such as phospholipase C (lecithinase) test, indole and urease production. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for common antibiotics was determined by Etests (Epsilometer) and duplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) reaction was performed with specific primers for amplification of cpe (426 bp) and plc (283 bp) Genes. RESULTS: Of 136 stool samples including diarrhea [48] and non-diarrhea [88] ones, 83 (61.02%) C. perfringens were cultured. Of these 83, 79 C. perfringens isolates showed the alpha-toxin (phospholipase C) production gene by PCR. Respectively, 3 (9.09%) and 2 (4.34%) cpe genes were present in diarrhea and non-diarrhea samples. Of 79 isolates of C. perfringens, 34 (43.03%) cases showed no resistance, 18 (22.78%) had one resistance and 27 (34.17%) isolates had multiple resistance to imipenem, metronidazole, ceftriaxone, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, and penicillin. CONCLUSIONS: Periodic evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility for C. perfringens should be performed. Harboring of enterotoxigenic C. perfringens in individuals not necessarily results in diarrhea.