STUDIES ON CLOSTRIDIAL MICROORGANISMS IN RABBITS AND THE USE OF ELISA FOR DETECTION OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS TOXINS

A total of 300 samples were collected from the intestine, liver and feces of apparently health (150 samples) and dead rabbit were with intestinal pathological lesions (150 samples). 4-12 weeks old rabbits were obtained from private farms in Menoufia governorate, and were bacteriologically examined at diagnostic laboratory of the Animal Health Research Institute, Shebin El-Kom-Menuofiea. C.perfringens was the most prevalent type recovered from apparently health rabbits with incidences of 30% from intestine,18% from liver and 10% from feces samples. Followed by C. difficile 6%, 4% and 4% from intestine, liver and feces, respectively. Also C.perfringens was the  most prevalent type from dead rabbits with incidences of 70% from intestine, 60% from liver and 36% from feces samples. Followed by C. difficile 10%, 10%, 10% and 8% from intestine, liver and feces, respectively. Typing of C. perfringens isolates revealed that type A was the most prevalent type followed by type D with incidences of 40% and 20% in intestine, 3303% and 11.1% in liver and 40% and 20% in feces inapparently healthy rabbits, respectively. The incidences of type A and type D in dead rabbits were 42.9% and 25.7% in intestine, 36.6% and 23.3% in liver and 38.9% and 22.2% in feces. Respectively. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared with neutralization test in mice for typing of C.perfringens toxins.  Results showed that ELISA can capture alpha and epsilon toxin from intestinal content of rabbits. The ELISA gave excellent agreement with mouse protection test. Furthermore, ELISA was sensitive and qualitative, it allowed the differential diagnosis of C. perfringens type A, B, C and D, enterotoxaemia from samples of intestinal contents. The sensitivity test indicated that enrofloxacin, spectinomycin and flumequine were effective against the Clostridium isolates.