| Summary: | <p/> <p><it>Clostridium perfringens </it>is a pathogen of great concern in veterinary medicine, because it causes enteric diseases and different types of toxaemias in domesticated animals. It is important that bacteria in tissue samples, which have been collected in the field, survive and for the classification of <it>C. perfringens </it>into the correct toxin group, it is crucial that plasmid-borne genes are not lost during transportation or in the diagnostic laboratory. The objectives of this study were to investigate the survival of <it>C. perfringens </it>in a simulated transport of field samples and to determine the stability of the plasmid-borne toxin genes <it>cpb1 </it>and <it>etx </it>after storage at room temperature and at 4°C. Stability of the plasmid-borne genes <it>cpb1 </it>and <it>etx </it>of <it>C. perfringens </it>CCUG 2035, and <it>cpb2 </it>from <it>C. perfringens </it>CIP 106526, JF 2255 and 6 field isolates in aerobic atmosphere was also studied. Survival of <it>C. perfringens </it>was similar in all experiments. The <it>cpb1 </it>and <it>etx </it>genes were detected in all isolates from samples stored either at room temperature or at 4°C for 24–44 h. Repeated aerobic treatment of <it>C. perfringens </it>CCUG 2035 and CIP 106526 did not result in the loss of the plasmid-borne genes <it>cpb1</it>, <it>cpb2 </it>or <it>etx</it>. Plasmid-borne genes in <it>C. perfringens </it>were found to be more stable than generally reported. Therefore, <it>C. perfringens </it>toxinotyping by PCR can be performed reliably, as the risk of plasmid loss seems to be a minor problem.</p>
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