Breast Cancer Screening Programs in China: Implementation, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.

IMPORTANCE

Clostridium perfringens is associated with neonatal piglet diarrhea and economic loss; contemporary national data on toxin gene carriage and antimicrobial susceptibility in Korea are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize toxin gene profiles and antimicrobial resistance among Clostridium perfringens isolated from diarrheic piglets in Korea.

METHODS

Fecal samples (n = 1,627) were collected from 286 farms in 2023-2024. Clostridium perfringens isolates (n = 410) were recovered under anaerobic conditions. Toxin genes (cpa, cpb, cpb2, cpe, etx, and iap) were detected by multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction. Susceptibility to 18 antimicrobials was assessed by disc diffusion.

RESULTS

Type A strains (cpa alone [24.6%] or cpa+cpb2 [46.8%]) predominated; cpb2 and cpe were detected in 73.4% and 19.0% of isolates, respectively. Resistance was highest to bacitracin (94.9%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (79.8%), and florfenicol (81.5%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In 2023-2024, type A isolates carrying cpb2 were the predominant toxinotype among Clostridium perfringens recovered from diarrheic piglets in Korea. The high prevalence of resistance to several commonly used agents supports strengthened antimicrobial stewardship and evaluation of alternative control strategies.