A total of 247 intestinal samples from freshly dead broiler and layer chickens
were collected from 150 farms in Giza, Sharkia, Qalubia, El-Behera, Daqahlia and
Cairo governorates in different seasons. These samples showed different degrees
of intestinal lesions from apparently normal to sever necrosis with ulcerations.
Clostridium perfringens was isolated from 138 samples with incidence of 55.9%.
The incidence of NE was higher in spring and summer than winter and autumn.
According to polymerase chain reaction and intradermal injection of guinea pig all
isolates were Clostridium perfringens type A. In vitro antibiotic sensitivity tests
made for 15 isolates and most of the examined isolates were highly sensitive to
amoxicillin, ampicillin, florfenicol, penicillin and metronidazole. Three isolates
showed resistance to most of antibiotics were used. Effect of piperazine salt on
antibiotic resistance of C. perfringens isolate was studied in this work.