Clostridium perfringens is more prevalent type of clostridia genus isolated from the intestinal ‎tract of ostrich (Struthio camelus). Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a potentially fatal GI disease of ‎poultry and other avian species, which produces marked destruction of intestinal lining in ‎digestive tract caused by C. perfringens. Pathogenicity and lesions are correlated with the ‎toxins produced, thus toxin typing of the bacterium has diagnostic and epidemiological ‎significance. In the present study, 30 isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from NE-‎positive and NE-negative ostrich flocks in Khorasan-e-Razavi porvince and analyzed by ‎multiplex PCR assay in order to determine the presence of four major toxin genes (cpa, cpb, ‎etx, and iA), cpb2, and cpe genes. All isolates were positive for alpha toxin gene (cpa) and five ‎of those were positive for beta toxin gene (cpb). The presence of cpb2 gene was detected in a ‎high percentage of isolates originating from both healthy (93.3%) and diseased (80%) flocks. ‎No isolate carried enterotoxin gene (cpe). The results suggest that type A and C of C. ‎perfringens are the most prevalent types in ostrich in Iran. Due to detection of beta2 toxin gene ‎in isolates from both healthy and diseased birds, it appears that the presence of cpb2 is not ‎considered a risk by itself.‎ Key words: Necrotic enteritis; ostrich; Struthio camelus; Clostridium perfringens; toxin ‎genes; Iran

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