Clostridium Perfringens

Flauta, Anna
MicroBiology
Maam Adamos

C. prefringes

Clostridium perfringens bacteria that

had been grown in Schaedler's broth.

Definition:
Clostridium

perfringens (C. perfringens) is a sporeforming gram-positive bacterium that is found in

many environmental sources as well as in the
intestines of humans and animals. C. perfringens
is commonly found on raw meat and poultry. It
prefers to grow in conditions with very little or no
oxygen, and under ideal conditions can multiply
very rapidly. Some strains of C. perfringens
produce a toxin in the intestine that causes illness.
Clostridium perfringens toxins are products of
certain bacteria, plants or other living organisms
that can be poisonous to other organisms.
Clostridium perfringens toxins can make a person
ill if enough is taken into the body.

Toxin:
Clostridium

perfringens toxins cannot be spread from

person to person and they do not grow or increase in
number in the body. They can be produced from
bacteria found everywhere in the environment. They
are most commonly associated with food poisoning,
which can happen when
People swallow a large amount of the bacteria, which then
multiply and produce toxin in the intestine; or
People eat contaminated food with the toxin already in it.

Clostridium

perfringens toxins as weapons: The toxins

can be purified into a concentrated form. They would
most likely be aerosolized, although they could also be
placed in water or food.

Pathogenesis:
C

perfringens enterotoxin binds to the brushborder membrane in the small intestine and
disrupts ion transport in the ileum and jejunum,
altering membrane permeability. Excess
amounts of ions and water enter the lumen,
resulting in a watery diarrhea. The toxin is
formed when the vegetative cells become
spores; conditions in the small intestine cause
spore formation. Meat products contaminated
with large numbers of organisms are needed to
cause disease. Refrigeration prevents growth of
organisms in meat, and reheating meat
destroys the heat-labile enterotoxin.

SOURCES:
Beef
Poultry
Gravies
INCUBATION PERIOD:
6-24 hours
SYMPTOMS:
Diarrhea and
abdominal cramps (not
fever or vomiting)
DURATION OF
ILLNESS:
24 hours or less
In severe cases,
symptoms may last for
1-2 weeks.

WHOS AT RISK?
Older adults
Infants and young children
WHAT TO DO:
Drink plenty of fluids and get rest.
If you cannot drink enough fluids
to prevent dehydration, call your
doctor.
HOW TO PREVENT:
Thoroughly cook foods, particularly
meat, poultry, and gravies, to a
safe internal temperature.
Use a food thermometer
Keep food hot after cooking (at
140 F or above)
Microwave reheated food
thoroughly (to 165F or above)
Refrigerate perishable foods within
two hours (at 40F or below)
Divide leftovers into shallow
containers and refrigerate
immediately. Do not let them cool
on the counter.