Detection of Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli from fecal samples of captive animals at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa

Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella spp. are enterotoxic, ubiquitously distributed bacteria. Diseases caused by these pathogens are well recognized in humans, livestock, companion and zoo animals and can result in morbidity, mortality, and significant economic losses. The aim of the study was to identify and simultaneously amplify enterotoxigenic E. coli; Salmonella spp. and C. perfringens using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Bacterial DNA was isolated from faeces of captive animals, birds (n=17), primates (n=6) and antelopes (n=26) using the Zymo Research Faecal DNA kit. The overall frequency of bacterial isolation was 8%. This low frequency could have resulted from the highly standardized management carried out at the zoo as well as other factors such as lack of contact with other animals and spatial buffers.   Key words: Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, multiplex PCR