Resumen
Objectives. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Clostridium perfringens in meat products at meat fairs in four cities of West Kazakhstan from April to October 2021. Methods. In total, 240 samples were collected and subsequently examined for the presence of Clostridium perfringens and its associated toxins using a standard culture method and multiplex PCR assay. Results. In the 240 samples, 67 (30%) tested positive for Clostridium perfringens. All isolates were classified as biotype A with the ability to produce a toxin. The prevalence of Clostridium perfringens was found in almost all types of meat products tested. Beef samples 20/40 (50%) were found the most contaminated with a pathogen, followed by minced lamb 16/40 (40%), ground beef 11/40 (27.5%), lamb 9/40 (22.5%), beef intestines 7/40 (17.5%) and lamb intestines 4/40 (10%). Conclusions. The outcomes of our study demonstrated the high contamination rate of Clostridium perfringens in local meat products. This study is also the first survey on Clostridium perfringens prevalence in meats in Kazakhstan. The findings in this report will enhance knowledge of epidemiology and help develop coordinated actions to prevent and control possible food poisoning outbreaks.