ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF Clostridium perfringens ISOLATED FROM BROILER CHICKENS WITH NECROTIC ENTERITIS IN TIARET, WESTERN ALGERIA

The present study was carried out to evaluate in vitro susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) to antimicrobial agents. A total of 22 C. perfringens type A strains, previously isolated from intestinal contents of broiler chickens displaying gross lesions suspected to be necrotic enteritis (NE) reared at different locations in Tiaret province, were tested on a panel of 7 antimicrobial agents using the disk diffusion method. The following antibiotics were used: Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (Co-amoxiclav); Penicillin G; Bacitracin; Tetracycline; Clindamycin; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (Co-trimoxazole); Erythromycin. Our results showed a widespread resistance to multiple antibiotics including Tetracycline (86.36%), Erythromycin (77.27%), Co-trimoxazole (68.18%) and Co-amoxiclav (50%). However, C. perfringens type A isolates tested demonstrated a low resistance to Clindamycin (36.36%), Bacitracine (36.36%) and Penicillin G (31.81%). We concluded that the highest rate of resistance was showed for commonly used antibiotics in comparison with antibiotics used in specific cases.