Perfringens Food Poisoning Research Articles

Clostridium perfringens in Dehydrated Soups and Sauces

SUMMARY– Fifty‐five samples of nationally advertised dehydrated sauce and gravy mixes, soup mixes, spaghetti sauce mixes, and cheese sauce mixes were examined for the presence of Clostridium perfringens. The organism was found in 18.2% of the samples. Spaghetti sauce mixes had the highest incidence of C. perfringens and the soup mixes had the lowest incidence. One strain possessed heat‐resistant spores that were able to withstand boiling at 97.4°C for one hour prior to isolation. The presence of preservatives in the food products did not influence the presence of C. perfringens in these food preparations. No common ingredient was detected as the source of contamination. The general presence of this organism in dehydrated soups and sauces may have epidemiological significance in C. perfringens food poisoning, especially since these products are exposed to short besting periods.

Rabbit ileal loop response to strains of Clostridium perfringens.

The ligated loop of the rabbit intestine was investigated as a possible experimental model for the study of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning. The method of preparation of the challenge inoculum was important in determining whether a given strain would provoke a response. When cultures were grown for 4 hr at 37 C in Skim Milk (Difco), 14 of 29 type A strains isolated from food-poisoning outbreaks consistently produced exudation of fluid and consequent dilation of the ileal segments. In contrast, 15 of the 18 strains derived from other sources failed to elicit a response. By use of different inoculum preparations, nearly all strains could be made to give at least an occasional positive loop reaction. Diarrhea was not obtained in rabbits by intraluminal injection into the normal ileum or by per os administration of the cultures. Lecithinase, purified and in concentrated culture supernatant fractions, failed to produce a response in the isolated ileal loops.

Mice and monkeys as assay animals for Clostridium perfringens food poisoning.

Spores and vegetative cells of Clostridium perfringens, in combination with meat or starch paste, sterile culture filtrates, lecithinase, and phosphorylcholine, were administered to mice and rhesus monkeys in an attempt both to evaluate the animals as test agents and, if possible, to elucidate the active factors producing food-poisoning symptoms caused by this organsim. Some of the preparations were administered to the monkeys by stomach tube; others, in gelatin capsules which were treated with formaldehyde so that the release of their contents was delayed and presumably reached the intestines of the animals. Any changes in intestinal passage times and in consistency of stools of the animals were observed, and the counts of C. perfringens in the feces of the monkeys previous and subsequent to treatment were recorded. The results obtained were inconclusive. Diarrhea occurred only relatively infrequently in both species, regardless of the substance fed or the mode of administration. The changes in intestinal passage times were not great, although in the monkeys there appeared to be a slight trend toward reduction as the magnitude of the bacterial load increased. Phosphorylcholine appeared to have little, if any, effect in reducing intestinal passage time of mice or monkeys. No procedures explored in these experiments could be said to be satisfactory as a means of animal assay for food poisoning strains of C. perfringens since typical symptoms did not appear with regularity.

Clostridium perfringens food poisoning. Report of an outbreak.

Clostridium perfringens food poisoning. Report of an outbreak.

Application of FA Techniques to Detection of Clostridium perfringens

t 7OOD POISONING caused by Clostridziwm perfringens (welchii) has, in recent years only, received appreciable attention. Many States, however, have never reported an outbreak of food poisoning caused by this organism. Kemp and associates (1), in a review of the incidence of food poisoning in California, reported that approximately 50 percent of all food poisoning outbreaks were classified as et iology unknown. 'They concluded that perhaps a considerable number of these may have been due to C. perfringens, which was overlooked because anaerobic cultures were not performed. On the national level, statistics are quite similar. In 1962, 214 food poisoning outbreaks were reported to the Public Health Service's Communicable Disease Center, and 111 of these were listed as etiology unknown (Mlorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report). Historically, McClung (2) reported several outbreaks attributable to large numbers of C. perfringens organisms in foods containing chicken. More recently Hobbs and associates (3) reviewed the literature and made a rather complete study of the situation in England. These authors maintain that C. perfringens food poisoning is usually caused by heat-resistant, nonhemolytic strains of the organisms. In the United States, Hall and associates (4) studied various so-called food poisoning strains and concluded that any strain of type A C. perfringens can cause food poisoning, if present in adequate numbers. Symptoms (3) of C. perfringens food poisoning are relatively mild; the victims usually experience gastrointestinal upsets, diarrhea, and cramps within 8 to 15 hours afteir eating food containing 10 million or more organisms per gram. The species C. perfringens consists of a group of closely related strains of gram-positive, noinmotile, spore-forming anaerobic bacteria. They are wideily distributed in nature, cause several different kinds of illnesses in men and in other animals, produce a variety of toxins, and are morphologically and biochemically similar to each other. The most practical method of differentiation, initiated by Wilsdon (5), is based on the pattern of toxin production exhibited by various strains. Subsequent investigators have systematized the major lethal toxin patterns, and currently five toxigenic types are recognized and are designated alphabetically from A to E (6). Type A most commonly affects man. Wilsdon also investigated the cellular antigens of C. perfringens, and he and subsequent investigat,ors concluded that the species is antigenically diverse. Recently, Ellner and Bohan (7) studied the soluble antigens and concluded This paper is a portion of a dissertation which Dr. Klotz submitted while he was training for the degree of doctor of public health at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. Training was provided by the Laboratory Directors' Program. which is supported by training grant 5 Ti GM 567 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Public Health Service. The laboratory research was performed under the supervision of Dr. W. B. Cherry, Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Klotz is now with the division of laboratories, Idaho Department of Health, Boise.