About Clostridium perfringens

Magnified 1000X, this photomicrograph reveals numbers of Clostridium perfringens bacteria that had been grown in Schaedler’s broth and subsequently stained using Gram-stain. Image courtesy of CDC/ Don Stalons.

C. Perfringens has the ability to form spores when conditions are less than optimum for growth. This characteristic makes C. perfringens very resistant to environmental stresses such as heat, chemicals, and irradiation. Spores of the bacteria persist in soil, sediments, and areas subject to human or animal fecal pollution. It is an anaerobe (grows where there is no oxygen) and thus is a problem in thick foods such as chili and stew.

After cooking, small numbers of the organism may still be present. Toxins may be produced by the bacteria when the temperature of the food is maintained at improper temperatures and air and moisture levels are right. Eating foods that are served after improper storage can lead to infection. The organisms then produce a toxin in the human intestine.

Symptoms of Illness

Symptoms include sudden, watery diarrhea and intense abdominal cramps which begin 8 to 22 hours after consumption of foods containing large numbers of those C. perfringens bacteria capable of producing the food poisoning toxin. Usually there is no fever or vomiting. On very rare occasions C. perfringens can cause a more severe infection that causes the intestinal tissue to die and results in an infection of the blood.

The illness is usually over within 24 hours but less severe symptoms may persist in some individuals for 1 or 2 weeks. Usually no treatment is needed, other than taking steps to prevent or treat dehydration.

Foods Associated with Illness from C. perfringens Infection and Intoxication

In most instances, the actual cause of poisoning by C. perfringens is temperature abuse of prepared foods. Small numbers of the organisms are often present after cooking and multiply rapidly to food poisoning levels during cool down and storage of prepared foods. Meats, meat products, and gravy are the foods most frequently implicated. The bacteria can be found in uncooked meat and poultry. It can also be transferred to food from stool bacteria if proper hand washing is not practiced.

Prevention of Illness from C. perfringens

Institutional feeding (such as school cafeterias, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, etc.) where large quantities of food are prepared several hours before serving is the most common circumstance in which C. perfringens poisoning occurs. The young and elderly are the most frequent victims of C. perfringens poisoning.

To prevent C. perfringens poisoning:

• Divide large portions of prepared food into smaller portions not over three inches deep and refrigerate for rapid cooling.
• Refrigerate leftover foods immediately and do not leave foods at room temperature to cool.
• Do not leave prepared food unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
• Reheat foods to at least 165° F.
• Wash hands before preparing or serving foods and after handling raw meat or poultry.

Sources

• Bad Bug Book United States Food and Drug Administration

• Communicable Disease Fact Sheets New York State Department of Health

• Diseases and Conditions Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

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