Isolation and toxin gene detection of()from traditional and commercial quail farms and packed quail meat for market supply - Short communication.

Abstract

is a Gram-positive anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium and the main cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in humans. In recent years, the transmission offrom environmental reservoirs (e.g. food) to humans has become a major focus of research. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and corresponding toxin genes ofin faecal samples and meat of quails. Thirty samples of packed quail meat in Mashhad, Iran and 500 faecal samples (pooled to n = 5) were collected on quail farms in the Northeastern Khorasan region for further investigation. Of 100 pooled quail faecal samples 10% showed cultural growth ofIn meat samples two out of 30 specimens (7%) showed cultural growth. In six of ten isolates from faecal samples toxin genes (and) were present, while four isolates harboured no toxin genes. However, in meat isolates no toxin genes were present. Mutations in thegene were not detected, indicating that 'hypervirulent' strains such as RT027 and RT078 were not present. The data suggest that quail and quail products might hold a potential for the spread of