AUTHOR=Karagulle Burcu , Celik Figen , Simsek Sami , Ahmed Haroon , Shen Yujuan , Cao Jianping 

TITLE=First molecular evidence of Clostridium perfringens in adult Fasciola spp. isolates in cattle hosts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.967045

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.967045

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Fasciolosis is a parasitic disease caused by <italic>Fasciola spp</italic>. It is a prevalent helminth infection globally. Clostridial hepatitis is a general name refer to disorders caused by a few clostridial agents that most severely affect the liver. Migration of young parasite forms (mostly <italic>Fasciola hepatica</italic>) in the parenchymal tissue of the liver causes necrosis and anaerobic environment, stimulating the proliferation of <italic>C. novyi</italic> type B spores. This study investigated the occurrence of <italic>Clostridium spp</italic> in adult <italic>Fasciola spp</italic> isolates. Isolates (<italic>n</italic> = 100) were collected from the bile ducts of infected cattle after slaughter. Total genomic DNA was extracted from each sample. A multiplex-PCR based on the flagellin C (<italic>fli</italic>C) gene was used for quick identification of <italic>C. chauvoei, C. haemolyticum, C. novyi types</italic> A and B, and <italic>C. septicum</italic>. In addition, a pair of primers <italic>Cpa</italic> (F) and <italic>Cpa</italic> (R) were used for detection of the <italic>C. perfringens</italic> alpha toxin gene. The products were sequenced. No band was obtained after multiplex-PCR of the <italic>fliC</italic> gene. A 247 bp band was detected in two isolates using the <italic>Cpa</italic> primers. BLAST analysis of these two isolates characterized both as <italic>C. perfringens</italic> alpha toxin. This is the first description of the molecular detection of <italic>C. perfringens</italic> in flukes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether Clostridum species is also carried by other developmental forms (egg and larval stages) of <italic>Fasciola spp</italic>.</p>