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=Volume 9 - 2022

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