HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nol, P. Articles by Yuill, T. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nol, P. Articles by Yuill, T. M.

¹ USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA;
² Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
⁴ Corresponding author: (email: pauline.nol{at}aphis.usda.gov)

ABSTRACT:   We established a method of directly detecting Clostridium botulinum type C cells, while minimizing spore detection, in the intestinal contents of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). This technique involved extraction of predominantly cellular DNA from tilapia intestinal tracts and used a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect presence of type C₁ toxin gene. We consistently detected C. botulinum type C cells in tilapia gastrointestinal contents at a level of 7.5x10⁴ cells per 0.25 g material or 1.9x10³ cells. This technique is useful for determining prevalence of the potentially active organisms within a given population of fish and may be adapted to other types of C. botulinum and vertebrate populations as well.
  Key words:  Clostridium botulinum type C, diagnostic technique, polymerase chain reaction, tilapia.

³ Current address: USDA/APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521