Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (8): 3976-3984.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.08.035

• Preventive Veterinary Medicine • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Isolation, Identification of a Deer Clostridium perfringens and Pathogenicity Analysis in Mouse

ZENG Shengxin1(), SONG Chengqi2, SHEN Kaiyuan2, HAO Guoxin2, WANG Yakun2, WANG Xin2, WANG Xiaoxu3, LIU Zhijie3, LIU Yongbo2, LIU Yongsheng2, YANG Shunli2, FU Zhixin2,*()   

  1. 1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
    2. Hebei Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine/College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinhuangdao 066500, China
    3. Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130112, China
  • Received:2024-11-01 Online:2025-08-23 Published:2025-08-28
  • Contact: FU Zhixin E-mail:zengshengxin@126.com;fzxljl@163.com

Abstract:

Clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen that endangers the deer breeding industry. In this study, a strain of Clostridium perfringens was isolated from clinical samples obtained from deer using selective identification media. The strain was identified through 16S rRNA sequencing, toxin-type polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and biochemical assays. An analysis of antimicrobial resistance was also performed. To establish a murine infection model, mice were subjected to intraperitoneal injection with the isolated strain, and subsequent observations were made regarding incidence rates, mortality, and histopathological alterations. The findings indicated that the isolated strain was identified as Clostridium perfringens type A, aligning with the biochemical characteristics of Clostridium perfringens. Furthermore, this strain exhibited resistance to the antibiotics amikacin, polymyxin B, streptomycin, kanamycin, clindamycin, and cotrimoxazole. The mice of the experimental group exhibited poor vitality, characterized by unkempt fur and reduced mobility. Examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly, thinning of the intestinal wall, and the presence of yellow material within the small intestine. The median lethal dose was determined to be 7.99×107 CFU·mL-1. Histopathological analysis indicated hyperemia and hemorrhage across various tissues and organs, infiltration of inflammatory cells, partial villous atrophy and loss in the small intestine, and structural disintegration.

Key words: Clostridium perfringens, deer, isolation, mouse model

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