Prevalence and toxin type of Clostridium perfringens in beef from four different types of meat markets in Seoul, Korea.

Beef is the primary source of foodborne poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens. We investigated the prevalence of C. perfringens in retail beef from four different types of meat markets in Seoul using a standard culture method and real-time PCR assay. From June to September 2015, 82 beef samples were collected from 6 department stores (n=12), 14 butcher shops (n=28), 16 traditional markets (n=32), and 5 supermarkets (n=10). The culture method and real-time PCR assay revealed that 4 (4.88%) and 10 (12.20%) samples were positive for C. perfringens, respectively. The beef purchased from the department store showed the highest prevalence (16.67%), followed by the traditional market (3.12%), butcher shop (3.57%), and supermarket (0%) (p>0.05). All isolates were type A and negative for the enterotoxin gene. In conclusion, the real-time PCR assay used in this study could be useful for rapid detection and screening of C. perfringens in beef.