Detection of Clostridium botulinum group III in environmental samples from farms by real-time PCR using four commercial DNA extraction kits

Objectives Few studies have tested DNA extraction methods to optimize the detection of Clostridium botulinum in environmental samples that can be collected during animal botulism outbreaks. In this study, we evaluated four commercial DNA extraction kits for the detection of C. botulinum group III in 82 various environmental samples (9 manure, 53 swabs, 3 insects, 8 water, 1 silage and 8 soil samples) collected in a context of animal botulism outbreaks.