Two hundred random samples of milk, kareish cheese, yoghurt and ice-cream (50 for each) were examined
microbiologically for the presence of Clostridium perfringens, their enterotoxigencity and their antibiotic sensitivity.
Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 3 (6%) milk samples, 4 (8%) kareish cheese samples and it could not be
isolated from any examined samples of yoghurt and ice-cream. The majority of C. perfringens isolates recovered from
milk and milk products were susceptible to ofloxacin, ampicillin + sulbactam and norfloxacin (100%), vancomycin,
tetracycline, metronidazole and amoxicillin + clavulinic acid (83.3%) and clindamycin (66.7%). The majority were
resistant to cephalothin (100%), sulphamethoxazole + trimethoprim (83.3%), oxacillin and chloramphenicol (66.7%).
Molecular studies using multiplex PCR technique for detection of alpha toxin gene and C.perfringens types "A"
enterotoxin gene revealed that the 7 isolates of C. perfringens (100%) were positive for alpha toxin gene and only 2 out
of 7 isolates (28.57%) were positive for enterotoxin gene