ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF Clostridium perfringens ISOLATED FROM BROILER CHICKENS WITH NECROTIC ENTERITIS IN TIARET, WESTERN ALGERIA
MERATI RACHID *
Laboratory of Hygiene and Animal Pathology, University of Tiaret, Algeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate in vitro susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) to antimicrobial agents. A total of 22 C. perfringens type A strains, previously isolated from intestinal contents of broiler chickens displaying gross lesions suspected to be necrotic enteritis (NE) reared at different locations in Tiaret province, were tested on a panel of 7 antimicrobial agents using the disk diffusion method. The following antibiotics were used: Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (Co-amoxiclav); Penicillin G; Bacitracin; Tetracycline; Clindamycin; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (Co-trimoxazole); Erythromycin. Our results showed a widespread resistance to multiple antibiotics including Tetracycline (86.36%), Erythromycin (77.27%), Co-trimoxazole (68.18%) and Co-amoxiclav (50%). However, C. perfringens type A isolates tested demonstrated a low resistance to Clindamycin (36.36%), Bacitracine (36.36%) and Penicillin G (31.81%). We concluded that the highest rate of resistance was showed for commonly used antibiotics in comparison with antibiotics used in specific cases.
Keywords: Clostridium perfringens, necrotic enteritis, antimicrobial susceptibility, broiler chickens, Tiaret.