Distribution of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in fish and shellfish [Japan]

Distribution of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in freshwater fish and their diet, in marine fish, and in marine shellfish in the southern part of Hokkaido was investigated. In addition, Hobbs' serotyping of isolates from these samples was performed.Enterotoxigenic strains from the samples heated at 75°C for 20min were detected in 31.1% (19/61) of isolates from the intestinal tracts of freshwater fish, in 14.8% (8/54) of isolates from the intestinal tracts of marine fish. In addition, 6.3% (4/63) of the isolates from marine shellfish were also enterotoxigenic.Of the isolates from the intestinal tracts of freshwater fish heated at 100°C for 60min, 40.0% (2/5) were enterotoxigenic.Hobbs' serotype strains were detected in 22.1% (15/68) of isolates from the intestinal tracts of freshwater fish, in 12.5% (7/56) of isolates from the body surfaces and in 18.1% (23/127) of isolates from the intestinal tracts of marine fish, and in 9.9% (7/71) of isolates from marine shellfish.A total of 52 Hobbs' serotype strains were divided into 6 serotypes and a large number of them belonged to type 16.