ISOLATION AND GENOTYPING OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS FROM FREE-LIVING SOUTH AMERICAN COATI (NASUA NASUA)

• Published in: Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 333 - 336
• Main Authors: Silva, Rodrigo O. S, Almeida, Lara R, Junior, Carlos A. Oliveira, Lima, Paula C. S, Soares, Danielle F. M, Pereira, Pedro L. L, Silva, Israel J, Lobato, Francisco C. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 01-03-2016
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Wild; Brief Communication; BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Clostridium Infections - veterinary; Clostridium perfringens - genetics; Clostridium perfringens - isolation & purification; coatis; diarrhea; enteritis; Female; Genotype; Male; Nasua nasua; procyonid; Procyonidae; β-2; Brazil; coatis; enteritis; procyonid; β-2; Nasua nasua; diarrhea
• ISSN: 1042-7260; 1937-2825
• DOI: 10.1638/2014-0189.1

The importance of Clostridium perfringens for most wild animal species remains unclear. This study aimed to isolate and genotype C. perfringens in stool samples from free-living South American coati (Nasua nasua) in Brazil. Forty-six free-living N. nasua were trapped and stool samples were collected. Two different protocols for C. perfringens isolation were tested: direct plating onto selective agar and pre-enrichment in broth followed by plating in selective agar. Clostridium perfringens type A was isolated from 15 (32.6%) animals by direct plating and 36 (78.3%) animals by broth PE, and the rate of isolation was significantly different between these two methods (P < 0.01). Twelve of the 36 (33.3%) isolated strains by the PE protocol were positive for the β-2 toxin-encoding gene (cpb2) whereas the enterotoxin-encoding gene (cpe) and necrotic enteritis like-B toxin gene (netb) were not found. These results suggest that C. perfringens is commonly part of the microbiota of free-living coatis. Additionally, the use of a PE protocol appears to be essential for studies on C. perfringens in this species.