Detection of Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for the detection of Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin in intestinal contents of animals which have died of suspected C perfringens type A enterotoxaemia. The test can also be used for testing culture supernatants of C perfringens isolates for the presence of alpha toxin. The test was sensitive and quantitative detecting toxin down to the 25ng level. The use of the ELISA for the detection of alpha toxin in conjunction with those for epsilon toxin and beta toxin, allows the differential diagnosis of C perfringens types A, B, C and D enterotoxaemias from samples of intestinal contents and the typing of cultures of C perfringens.