DOCSLIB.ORG

Clostridium Perfringens Clostridium Perfringens

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Clostridium Perfringens Clostridium Perfringens Clostridium perfringens Clostridium perfringens Dean O. Cliver (materials from M. N. Hajmeer) Outline Background • Historical background • 1890s, F.W. Andrewes and E. Klein • C. perfringens characteristics were involved in linking Clostridium • Foodborne disease estimates welchii (now C. perfringens) with food • Classification poisoning. • Pathogen prevalences • They associated eating foods • Clinical features & mechanism of disease contaminated with C. perfringens with • C. perfringens enterotoxins and spores several foodborne outbreaks. • Immunity, reservoirs, shedding, • Outbreaks were characterized with mild growth/survival, and detection to severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. Background Background • 1892: The microorganism was found in a variety of diseases. • 1939 to 1946: Several outbreaks ¾gas gangrene observed: ¾appendicitis ¾In the U.K. during WWII ¾puerperal fever (infection of the ¾Shortage of meat led to the practice placental site following delivery or of cooking meat for later abortion) consumption. ¾enteritis 1 Background Background • 1939 to 1946: Several outbreaks observed: • 1939 to 1946: Several outbreaks ¾First warning of food poisoning observed: came from Knox and Macdonald ¾In the US, the first proven outbreak (1943). of C. perfringens was described by ¾Vehicle: gravy made the previous McClung (1945). day was heavily contaminated with anaerobic sporing bacilli including ¾Examined 4 foodborne outbreaks C. perfringens. associated with eating chicken ¾Children became ill after eating steamed 24 hrs before consumption. contaminated meal. Background Background • 1953: Hobbs and associates • 1948: Severe necrotic gastroenteritis showed that eating food occurred in Germany. contaminated with C. ¾The vehicle for the illness was home perfringens could lead to canned rabbit. diarrheal food poisoning. ¾The associated strain was C. perfringens • Pioneered work establishing type C. C. perfringens as a cause of food poisoning. Background Background • 1954: Experiments were conducted in US • By the 1960s and 70s, enough with human volunteers (Dack). information had accumulated to indicate ¾The strain fed was English strain of C. that C. perfringens foodborne poisoning perfringens. is caused by the release of the toxin during sporulation of the microorganism ¾Volunteers failed to develop any in the intestine of infected individuals symptoms of disease. who ate food heavily contaminated with • Public health significance was not fully C. perfringens. accepted in US until the 1960s. 2 Best estimates of annual cases and Characteristics of C. perfringens deaths for foodborne diseases, USA • Gram positive, nonmotile, encapsulated Cases Per- Deaths Per- rods with square ends. cent cent • Anaerobe but more oxygen-tolerant than C. C. perfringens 248,520 1.8 7 0.4 botulinum. Total bacterial 4,175,565 30.2 1,297 71.7 • Produces acetone, butanol, ethanol, butyric Total foodborne 13,814,924 100.0 1,809 100.0 acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. CDC, 1998–2002: 130 outbreaks, • Ferments sugars, starch and pectin. 6,724 cases, 4 deaths. Clostridium perfringens Spores and Sporulation • Because it is a spore-former, the pathogen can survive in the environment. • Spores are seldom formed in food. • Sporulation requires a well-buffered medium rich in nutrients. • Spores are formed in the intestinal tract (spores shed in feces). Classification of C. perfringens is Based on Toxins Produced Classification of C. perfringens is Based on Toxins Produced Toxin • The alpha toxin is a phospholipase, Type alpha beta epsilon iota the others are hemolysins or cause A + 0 0 0 necrosis. B + + + 0 • The different types cause a variety C + + 0 0 of diseases in animals, some of them D + 0 + 0 very severe. E + 0 0 + 3 Classification of C. perfringens is C. perfringens Prevalence in Foods Based on Toxins Produced Pork 0–39% • Type A is hemolytic (" and $) and non- hemolytic. Cooked Pork 45% • Killing 90% of spores takes 6 – 17 minutes Beef 22% at 100°C for non-hemolytic strains and less than one minute for beta-hemolytic strains. Chicken 0–54% Seafood 2% Clinical Features of C. perfringens Clinical Features of C. perfringens • Severe diarrhea; no pyrexia • Large numbers of the pathogen can be (fever), shivering, headache, found in feces and food. abdominal pain, dehydration • Significant amount of enterotoxin also • Incubation time to illness is found in feces. 8-24 h. • Infective dose is high. About 108 • Duration of illness is vegetative cells need to be ingested to 12-24 h. cause symptoms. Mechanism of Disease Mechanism of Disease 1. C. perfringens in food. • C. perfringens produces toxin- 2. Ingested cells begin to mediated infection known as C. sporulate after passing perfringens enteritis. stomach. • C. perfringens produces food 3. Enterotoxin produced poisoning without colonization. in small intestine (during sporulation) 4. Symptoms 4 Mechanism of Disease Mechanism of Disease • Heat shock, 70 – 100 °C, boosts • Sporulation is poor in most foods; germination and yields of enterotoxin. therefore contain little or no enterotoxin. • If food such as meat containing spores • Sporulation is rapid in small intestines is heated and left for some time at where pH is right and well buffered. It growth temperature the “primed” begins in the intestines in 3 h, and spores will produce rapidly growing enterotoxin found in 10-12 h. vegetative cells that in turn will produce plenty of spores and enterotoxin in the small intestines. Mechanism of Disease Mechanism of Disease • C. perfringens food poisoning • Avoid problems by boiling food outbreaks tend to be on a large immediately before eating to: scale ¾Kill the vegetative cells in the food, ¾ large volumes of food produced and ¾Prevent sporulation in the intestines • There are few if any fatalities. C. perfringens Enterotoxins C. perfringens Enterotoxins • Simple polypeptide, molecular weight of • Have similarities with V. cholerae 36000 ± 4000, contains 309 amino acid enterotoxin residues but only one cysteine residue ¾Cause a transient increase in capillary permeability with fluid accumulation • They are inactivated by pronase and B. and diarrhea subtilis protease but not by trypsin, ¾Increased secretion of water, sodium chymotrypsin, papain or bromelin. and chloride • Enterotoxin is heat labile with 90% ¾Decreased absorption of glucose destruction in 4 minutes at 60°C. ¾Enterotoxin causes desquamation of villous epithelium. 5 C. perfringens Enterotoxins C. perfringens Spores • About 0.2 – 36 :g toxin/g feces is • C. perfringens spores can be isolated found in patients suffering from C. from healthy persons. perfringens food poisoning. • Only toxigenic types A and C • These spores are probably formed in (seldom D) of C. perfringens produce the colon rather than in the small enterotoxin (causes gastrointestinal intestines. symptoms). Immunity Reservoirs • C. perfringens is found in human and • After an incident of disease, circulating animal intestinal tracts, and soil. antibodies that neutralize enterotoxin are found in the blood but not in the • ~ 50% to 100% of normal, healthy intestines. humans are carriers of C. perfringens. • C. perfringens food poisoning does not • Carriers excrete around 103 spores/g confer immunity. of feces. • Recovering individuals shed >105/g. Shedding Frequency Growth and Survival • Growth temperature is 6.5 – 47°C • Shedding frequency in animals: • Freezing cells at –18°C: only 4% ¾Swine 18% survived for 180 days. ¾Rats 41% • Freezing spores at –18°C: only 11% ¾Chicken 88% (60% produced toxin) survived for 180 days. ¾Cattle 80% (68 % produced toxin) • Storage at 5°C more lethal than freezing at –18°C. 6 Detection of C. perfringens Survival and Growth • A 1.2–3.4 kGy of gamma rays kills 90% • Many different media have been of spores. proposed • Water activity of 0.95–0.96 limits growth. –see Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods • The limiting NaCl concentration is 5–8% • Sulfite cycloserine agar is convenient for • Upper redox potential permitting growth pour plates. +31 mV at pH 7.7, +230 mV at pH 6 • Neomycin blood agar for surface plating. Detection of C. perfringens • Most probable numbers (MPN) can be determined in cooked meat or liver medium followed by streaking on neomycin blood agar. • Enterotoxin can be detected by ELISA test. 7.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Feed Safety 2016
    Annual Report The surveillance programme for feed materials, complete and complementary feed in Norway 2016 - Mycotoxins, fungi and bacteria NORWEGIAN VETERINARY INSTITUTE The surveillance programme for feed materials, complete and complementary feed in Norway 2016 – Mycotoxins, fungi and bacteria Content Summary ...................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 Aims ........................................................................................................................... 5 Materials and methods ..................................................................................................... 5 Quantitative determination of total mould, Fusarium and storage fungi ........................................ 6 Chemical analysis .......................................................................................................... 6 Bacterial analysis .......................................................................................................... 7 Statistical analysis ......................................................................................................... 7 Results and discussion ...................................................................................................... 7 Cereals .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Clostridium Perfringens
    CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS: SPORES & CELLS MEDIA & MODELING Promotor: prof. dr. ir. Frans M. Rombouts Hoogleraar in de levensmiddelenhygiëne en –microbiologie Co-promotor: dr. Rijkelt R. Beumer Universitair docent Leerstoelgroep levensmiddelenmicrobiologie Promotiecommissie: prof. dr. ir. Johan M. Debevere (Universiteit Gent, België) dr. ir. Servé H.W. Notermans (TNO Voeding, Zeist) prof. dr. Michael W. Peck (Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK) prof. dr. ir. Marcel H. Zwietering (Wageningen Universiteit) CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS: SPORES & CELLS MEDIA & MODELING Aarieke Eva Irene de Jong Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor op gezag van de rector magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit, prof. dr. ir. L. Speelman, in het openbaar te verdedigen op dinsdag 21 oktober 2003 des namiddags te vier uur in de Aula A.E.I. de Jong – Clostridium perfringens: spores & cells, media & modeling – 2003 Thesis Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands – With summary in Dutch ISBN 90-5808-931-2 ABSTRACT Clostridium perfringens is one of the five major food borne pathogens in the western world (expressed in cases per year). Symptoms are caused by an enterotoxin, for which 6% of type A strains carry the structural gene. This enterotoxin is released when ingested cells sporulate in the small intestine. Research on C. perfringens has been limited to a couple of strains that sporulate well in Duncan and Strong (DS) medium. These abundantly sporulating strains in vitro are not necessarily a representation of the most dangerous strains in vivo. Therefore, sporulation was optimized for C. perfringens strains in general. None of the tested media and methods performed well for all strains, but Peptone-Bile- Theophylline medium (with and without starch) yielded highest spore numbers.
    [Show full text]
  • 615.9Barref.Pdf
    INDEX Abortifacient, abortifacients bees, wasps, and ants ginkgo, 492 aconite, 737 epinephrine, 963 ginseng, 500 barbados nut, 829 blister beetles goldenseal blister beetles, 972 cantharidin, 974 berberine, 506 blue cohosh, 395 buckeye hawthorn, 512 camphor, 407, 408 ~-escin, 884 hypericum extract, 602-603 cantharides, 974 calamus inky cap and coprine toxicity cantharidin, 974 ~-asarone, 405 coprine, 295 colocynth, 443 camphor, 409-411 ethanol, 296 common oleander, 847, 850 cascara, 416-417 isoxazole-containing mushrooms dogbane, 849-850 catechols, 682 and pantherina syndrome, mistletoe, 794 castor bean 298-302 nutmeg, 67 ricin, 719, 721 jequirity bean and abrin, oduvan, 755 colchicine, 694-896, 698 730-731 pennyroyal, 563-565 clostridium perfringens, 115 jellyfish, 1088 pine thistle, 515 comfrey and other pyrrolizidine­ Jimsonweed and other belladonna rue, 579 containing plants alkaloids, 779, 781 slangkop, Burke's, red, Transvaal, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, 453 jin bu huan and 857 cyanogenic foods tetrahydropalmatine, 519 tansy, 614 amygdalin, 48 kaffir lily turpentine, 667 cyanogenic glycosides, 45 lycorine,711 yarrow, 624-625 prunasin, 48 kava, 528 yellow bird-of-paradise, 749 daffodils and other emetic bulbs Laetrile", 763 yellow oleander, 854 galanthamine, 704 lavender, 534 yew, 899 dogbane family and cardenolides licorice Abrin,729-731 common oleander, 849 glycyrrhetinic acid, 540 camphor yellow oleander, 855-856 limonene, 639 cinnamomin, 409 domoic acid, 214 rna huang ricin, 409, 723, 730 ephedra alkaloids, 547 ephedra alkaloids, 548 Absorption, xvii erythrosine, 29 ephedrine, 547, 549 aloe vera, 380 garlic mayapple amatoxin-containing mushrooms S-allyl cysteine, 473 podophyllotoxin, 789 amatoxin poisoning, 273-275, gastrointestinal viruses milk thistle 279 viral gastroenteritis, 205 silibinin, 555 aspartame, 24 ginger, 485 mistletoe, 793 Medical Toxicology ofNatural Substances, by Donald G.
    [Show full text]
  • Diagnosis of Clostridium Perfringens
    Received: January 12, 2009 J Venom Anim Toxins incl Trop Dis. Accepted: March 25, 2009 V.15, n.3, p.491-497, 2009. Abstract published online: March 31, 2009 Original paper. Full paper published online: August 31, 2009 ISSN 1678-9199. GENOTYPING OF Clostridium perfringens ASSOCIATED WITH SUDDEN DEATH IN CATTLE Miyashiro S (1), Baldassi L (1), Nassar AFC (1) (1) Animal Health Research and Development Center, Biological Institute, São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil. ABSTRACT: Toxigenic types of Clostridium perfringens are significant causative agents of enteric disease in domestic animals, although type E is presumably rare, appearing as an uncommon cause of enterotoxemia of lambs, calves and rabbits. We report herein the typing of 23 C. perfringens strains, by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, isolated from small intestine samples of bovines that have died suddenly, after manifesting or not enteric or neurological disorders. Two strains (8.7%) were identified as type E, two (8.7%) as type D and the remainder as type A (82.6%). Commercial toxoids available in Brazil have no label claims for efficacy against type E-associated enteritis; however, the present study shows the occurrence of this infection. Furthermore, there are no recent reports on Clostridium perfringens typing in the country. KEY WORDS: Clostridium perfringens, iota toxin, sudden death, PCR, cattle. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There is no conflict. CORRESPONDENCE TO: SIMONE MIYASHIRO, Instituto Biológico, Av. Conselheiro Rodrigues Alves, 1252, Vila Mariana, São Paulo, SP, 04014-002, Brasil. Phone: +55 11 5087 1721. Fax: +55 11 5087 1721. Email: [email protected]. Miyashiro S et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Clostridium Perfringens
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Study of some Virulence Factors for Clostridium perfringens isolated from Clinical Samples and Hospital Environment and showing their Sensitivity to Antibiotics Muhsin H Edham, Asma S Karomi, Zainab I Tahseen* Department of Biology, College of Science, Kirkuk University, Iraq Received: 19th March, 2020; Revised: 24th April, 2020; Accepted: 25th May, 2020; Available Online: 25th June, 2020 ABSTRACT The study included taking 100 samples from different clinical sources, including wounds and burns, and from the hospital environment, in Kirkuk General Hospital and Azadi Teaching Hospital in the city of Kirkuk for the period from November 2017 to August 2018. The results of isolation and diagnosis showed the growth of 30 isolates that are positive for Clostridium perfringens, distributed between 15 isolates 37.5% from burns, 11 isolates 27.5% from wounds, and 4 isolates 20% from the hospital environment. These isolates were diagnosed based on microscopical, cultural and biochemical tests, in addition to being diagnosed with the Api 20A system. The sensitivity of isolates was tested toward a number of types of antibiotics, and all bacterial isolates showed a high sensitivity 100% against imipenem. As for the sensitivity to vancomycin, amikacin, tetracycline was 96.66, 90, and 66.66% respectively. While, all isolates showed a high resistance to metronidazole and colistin 100%, some virulence factors of C. perfringens isolates have been studied , and showed that all isolates (%100) have the ability to produce hemolysin, lecithinase, capsule, and spore, while 70% of the isolates produced DNAase. Keywords: Antibiotic sensitivity, Clostridium perfringens, Virulence factors. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance (2020); DOI: 10.25258/ijpqa.11.2.11 How to cite this article: Edham MH, Karomi AS, Tahseen ZI.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic
    antibiotics Review Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria: Rubik’s Cube of Clinical Microbiology? Márió Gajdács 1,*, Gabriella Spengler 1 and Edit Urbán 2 1 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary; [email protected] 2 Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +36-62-342-843 Academic Editor: Leonard Amaral Received: 28 September 2017; Accepted: 3 November 2017; Published: 7 November 2017 Abstract: Anaerobic bacteria have pivotal roles in the microbiota of humans and they are significant infectious agents involved in many pathological processes, both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Their isolation, cultivation and correct identification differs significantly from the workup of aerobic species, although the use of new technologies (e.g., matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, whole genome sequencing) changed anaerobic diagnostics dramatically. In the past, antimicrobial susceptibility of these microorganisms showed predictable patterns and empirical therapy could be safely administered but recently a steady and clear increase in the resistance for several important drugs (β-lactams, clindamycin) has been observed worldwide. For this reason, antimicrobial susceptibility testing of anaerobic isolates for surveillance
    [Show full text]
  • Identifying the Virulent Factors of Clostridium Perfringens Locally Isolated from Different Species
    2020, Scienceline Publication World’s Veterinary Journal World Vet J, 10(4): 617-624, December 25, 2020 ISSN 2322-4568 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.29252/scil.2020.wvj74 Identifying the Virulent Factors of Clostridium perfringens Locally Isolated from Different Species El-Helw, H. A.*¹, Taha, M. M.¹, Elham F. El-Sergany¹, Ebtesam, E.Z. Kotb², Hussein, A. S.¹, and Abdalla, Y. A.¹ ¹Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Abbasia, Cairo, Postcode: 11381, Egypt. ²Animal Reproduction Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, El-Haram, Giza, Postcode:12619, Egypt. *Corresponding author’s Email: [email protected]; : 0000-0003-2851-9632 Accepted: Accepted: Received: pii:S23224568 OR ABSTRACT I Clostridium perfringens incriminated in many diseases among different species of animals due to its ability to ARTICLE GINAL produce many virulence factors. In the current study, 135 intestinal samples were collected from different animal 07 species of different localities in Egypt. Samples were subjected to isolation and identification (morphologically and 22 Nov Dec biochemically) for obtaining Clostridium perfringens isolates (n=26, 19.25%). The PCR was carried out to elucidate 20 000 the virulence factors. It was indicated that all the 26 Clostridium perfringens isolates had CPA gene and Clostridium 20 20 20 perfringens enterotoxin (CPE gene), whereas 23% of isolates of chicken and cattle intestinal samples contained 20 74 CPA, Net B, and CPE genes as virulence factors. Consequently, those isolates are highly recommended to be used in - the preparation of enterotoxemia and necrotic enteritis vaccines as they are more virulent strains. 10 Keywords: Clostridium perfringens, CPA gene, CPE gene, Net B gene INTRODUCTION Clostridium perfringens (C.
    [Show full text]
  • Decontamination of Mycotoxin-Contaminated Feedstuffs
    toxins Review Decontamination of Mycotoxin-Contaminated Feedstuffs and Compound Feed Radmilo Colovi´cˇ 1,*, Nikola Puvaˇca 2,*, Federica Cheli 3,* , Giuseppina Avantaggiato 4 , Donato Greco 4, Olivera Đuragi´c 1, Jovana Kos 1 and Luciano Pinotti 3 1 Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; olivera.djuragic@fins.uns.ac.rs (O.Đ.); jovana.kos@fins.uns.ac.rs (J.K.) 2 Department of Engineering Management in Biotechnology, Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management in Novi Sad, University Business Academy in Novi Sad, Cve´carska,21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 3 Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Via Trentacoste, 20134 Milan, Italy; [email protected] 4 Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola, 70126 Bari, Italy; [email protected] (G.A.); [email protected] (D.G.) * Correspondence: radmilo.colovic@fins.uns.ac.rs (R.C.);ˇ nikola.puvaca@fimek.edu.rs (N.P.); [email protected] (F.C.) Received: 8 August 2019; Accepted: 23 October 2019; Published: 25 October 2019 Abstract: Mycotoxins are known worldwide as fungus-produced toxins that adulterate a wide heterogeneity of raw feed ingredients and final products. Consumption of mycotoxins-contaminated feed causes a plethora of harmful responses from acute toxicity to many persistent health disorders with lethal outcomes; such as mycotoxicosis when ingested by animals. Therefore, the main task for feed producers is to minimize the concentration of mycotoxin by applying different strategies aimed at minimizing the risk of mycotoxin effects on animals and human health.
    [Show full text]
  • Clostridium Perfringens
    New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Fact Sheet Division of Public Health Services Clostridium. perfringens What is C. perfringens? Why is there concern about C. Clostridium perfringens toxins are widely perfringens as a weapon? distributed in the environment and frequently The toxins can be purified into a concentrated occur in the intestines of humans and many form which could then be aerosolized and domestic and feral animals. The toxins are used to infect a large number of people. It produced by certain bacteria, plants, or other could also be placed in food or water to make living organisms. Spores of the organism people ill and it would take a while to figure persist in soil, sediment, and areas subject to out the cause. human or animal fecal pollution. What happens when someone gets How does C. perfringens make people sick from C. perfringens toxins? sick? Food poisoning: The symptoms of C. C. perfringens toxins can make a person ill if perfringens causing illness from food include they ingest enough. Perfringens food crampy stomach pain followed by diarrhea poisoning is the term used to describe the which may begin 6 to 24 hours after eating common foodborne illness caused by C. the contaminated food. Nausea is common, perfringens. A more serious but rare illness is but fever and vomiting usually are not also caused by ingesting food contaminated symptoms. The illness is usually over within with Type C strains. The latter illness is 24 hours, but less severe symptoms may known as enteritis necroticans or pig-bel persist in some individuals for 1 to 2 weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Insights Into Clostridium Perfringens Beta-Toxin
    Toxins 2015, 7, 396-406; doi:10.3390/toxins7020396 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Review Recent Insights into Clostridium perfringens Beta-Toxin Masahiro Nagahama 1,*, Sadayuki Ochi 2, Masataka Oda 3, Kazuaki Miyamoto 1, Masaya Takehara 1 and Keiko Kobayashi 1 1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Yamashiro-cho 770-8514, Tokushima, Japan; E-Mails: [email protected] (K.M.); [email protected] (M.T.); [email protected] (K.K.) 2. Department of Microbiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake 470-1192, Aichi, Japan; E-Mail: [email protected] 3. Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Gakkocho-dori, Chuo-ku 951-8514, Niigata, Japan; E-Mail: [email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]; Tel.: +81-088-622-9611; Fax: +81-088-655-3051. Academic Editor: Teresa Krakauer Received: 20 December 2014 / Accepted: 29 January 2015 / Published: 3 February 2015 Abstract: Clostridium perfringens beta-toxin is a key mediator of necrotizing enterocolitis and enterotoxemia. It is a pore-forming toxin (PFT) that exerts cytotoxic effect. Experimental investigation using piglet and rabbit intestinal loop models and a mouse infection model apparently showed that beta-toxin is the important pathogenic factor of the organisms. The toxin caused the swelling and disruption of HL-60 cells and formed a functional pore in the lipid raft microdomains of sensitive cells.
    [Show full text]
  • Clostridium Perfringens Extracellular Toxins and Enzymes: 20 and Counting
    Under the Microscope Clostridium perfringens extracellular toxins and enzymes: 20 and counting Sarah A Revitt-Mills A, Julian I Rood A and Vicki Adams A,B AMonash University, 19 Innovation Drive, Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia, Tel: +61 3 9902 9139, Fax: +61 3 9902 2222 BEmail: [email protected] Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive, anaerobic bac- toxins (alpha, beta, epsilon and iota)4,9. This typing scheme is now terium that is widely distributed in the environment; it is very much outdated, but it has been useful for classification as the found in soil and commonly inhabits the gastrointestinal different toxinotypes are often associated with specific diseases4,10 tract of humans and animals1,2. The ubiquitous nature of (Table 1). For example, clostridial myonecrosis and human food this bacterium has resulted in it becoming a major cause of poisoning are associated with type A strains, whereas type B, C histotoxic and enteric diseases3. The success of C. perfrin- and D strains are most strongly associated with enteric diseases of gens as both a pathogen and a commensal bacterium lies in livestock4. its ability to produce a large number of potent toxins and extracellular enzymes4. This diverse toxin repertoire results Toxins and toxin gene location in a broad range of diseases including gas gangrene, various The number of characterised C. perfringens toxins is ever enterotoxaemias, food poisoning and necrotic enteritis4–6. increasing; with more than 20 different toxins and enzymes classi- Since 2007, six new toxins have been identified, adding to the fied to date, see Table 13,5,9,11.
    [Show full text]
  • Clostridium Perfringens
    Public Health Environmental Health Services www.SBCounty.gov Clostridium perfringens What is Clostridium perfringens? Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a bacterium that forms spores found in the environment such as soil and sediment and in human and animal intestines. C. perfringens is sometimes called the “cafeteria germ” because it can be found in foods served in large amounts and kept at room temperature on poorly maintained steam tables or food warmers. C. perfringens bacteria form from the spores in the “danger zone” (41°F-135°F). If food is not cooked or reheated to proper cooking temperatures to kill it, live bacteria may be eaten. Once consumed, a toxin is produced in the intestines that causes food poisoning. How common is C. perfringens food The bacteria can also be found in gravies and poisoning? dried or precooked foods that have not been According to the Centers for Disease Control reheated to recommended cooking and Prevention (CDC), C. perfringens is one of temperatures. Anyone can get food poisoning the top 5 common bacteria that leads to food from C. perfringens. Infants, young children and poisoning in the United States. They estimate it older adults are at higher risk of C. perfringens causes nearly one million cases of foodborne infection and can experience more severe illness annually. Most C. perfringens outbreaks symptoms. The illness is not passed from one occur in institutions like hospitals, school person to another. cafeterias, prisons, and nursing homes, or at events with catered food. What are the symptoms of C. perfringens infection? How do people get infected with this An infected individual will develop sudden bacteria? diarrhea and abdominal (stomach) cramps A person can get sick by eating food within 6-24 hours of eating food contaminated contaminated with C.
    [Show full text]