Short communication : Isolation and identification of Clostridium tetani from tetanus suspected equine and their environment in selected sites of central Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2016 to May 2017 to isolate and identify Clostridium tetani. A total of 71 samples (equine deep wound swabs, feces, soil from the feces contaminated environment) were collected. Isolation of Clostridium tetani was carried out using an anaerobic Viande et Foie (VF) medium. Out of the 71 samples cultured on VF medium, 27 (38%) of them were grown and all were confirmed to be Clostridium tetani using spore staining and biochemical tests. Study site and sample type had a statistically significant association (p<0.05) with C. tetani isolation in which higher occurrences were from the Bishoftu area, environmental, and feces samples. The present study showed the widespread occurrence of tetanus in the equine population inquiring about the need for designing feasible control strategies.