EN
The aim of present study was to determine α and β toxin expression as well as the prevalence of α, β, ε, ι, β2 toxin genes and the enterotoxin gene of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from suckling piglets with diarrhea. Rectal swabs, feces samples and intestine sections originating from 15 farms were examined during the study. All isolated through ELISA Cl. peringen strains demonstrated β toxin expression and none of them demonstrated β toxin. All isolates were positive for the β and negative for the β, ε, ι and enterotoxin gene, implying that only non-enterotoxigenic type A strains were detected. Over 41% of the isolates demonstrated β2 toxin gene. The β2 positive strains were isolated from samples originating from 9 farms. The lack of type C strains among isolates collected during the study was also noted, as well as the different intensity of pathological changes in the intestines of piglets from which β2 positive strains were isolated.