Detection of Clostridium chauvoei in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues of sheep by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique.

A peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique was used to detect Clostridium chauvoei in tissue sections from sheep inoculated intramuscularly with a pure culture of this microorganism. Samples of various tissues were taken for bacteriology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. A primary antiserum against C. chauvoei for use in the PAP technique was produced in rabbits. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of muscle samples were positively and specifically stained by the PAP technique. The results were consistent with those obtained by bacteriology, but the PAP test was simpler, quicker and less expensive than the bacteriological procedures. The use of the PAP technique would be appropriate for detecting clostridial infections without the constraints of conventional identification methods, especially where laboratory conditions for anaerobic procedures are not readily available.