Clostridium perfringens Bacteria and Food Illness

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Introduction

This illustration depicts a three-dimensional (3D), computer-generated image of a cluster of barrel-shaped, Clostridium perfringens bacteria. The artistic recreation was based upon scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imagery. The photo credit for this image belongs to Jennifer Oosthuizen, who is an illustrator at the CDC.

By Paula Cancelas Calvo

Food-borne illness occurs when one consumes contaminated foods or beverages. This type of illness has been around humans for as long as we have been humans, and the same pathogens not only affects humans but also animals. In humans, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 76 million foodborne illnesses, including 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, occur in the United States each year" . There are many different types of pathogens that can cause food-borne illness, some less serious than others, nevertheless, they are still serious. Many of these bacteria can lead to serious gastrointestinal complications. Clostridium perfringens is one of those bacteria that is known for food related illness. This gram-positive, nonmotile, anaerobic spore producing bacteria is one of the most common and important human and animal pathogens that can cause an array of diseases . In addition, this pathogen is among the most widespread bacteria, with a ubiquitous environmental distribution in soil, sewage, food, fecal, and in normal intestinal gut microbiota of both humans and animals.

In regards to food related illness, Clostridium perfringens is one of the most common causes and the CDC estimates that 1 million illnesses are caused by these food poisoning bacteria.. Symptoms associated with consumption of contaminated foods are most often diarrhea and stomach cramps and usually appear 6 to 24 hours after consumption of contaminated food, and this is not transmissible directly from one person to another. This type of food poisoning leaves you in pain and dehydrated. In most, antibiotics are not necessary for treatment and as long as fluids are restored there should be no problems. Although these symptoms are considered to be short and temporary, as mentioned before, C. perfringens can lead to serious gastrointestinal infections such as traumatic gas gangrene, necrotic enteritis of both human and neonatal animal species, enterotoxemia of sheep and goats, and among others, all which can lead to death if left untreated. Not only that, but in agricultural circumstances, it can decimate farm output which can affect a country’s economy and consumers if a serious outbreak were to occur. “According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foodborne illness costs the US economy $10-83 billion per year”.

The reason why C. perfringens infections are of concern is because of how common the bacterium is and how it is the major cause of food-borne illness. The toxins that the bacteria produces are believed to be what damages the host, however, there are many different kinds and it unclear why so many kinds are produced. In addition, with the overprescription and improper disposal of antibiotic medication, through mobile genetic elements or horizontal gene transfer, drug resistance is becoming more prevalent in all sorts of bacterial species including C. perfringens. This antibiotic resistance also affects the gut microbiome in both animals and humans. All of these pose as concern as food-borne illness is a major public health threat, and to better understand the major cause of said illness will improve treatment and prevention methods.

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Clostridium perfringens Toxin

Table 1. The classification of Clostridium perfringens based on the production of the four major toxins. This table was created by Uzal et al. (2014)

Most bacterial infections are caused by potent toxic proteins. C. perfringens can cause two main types of diseases in both humans and animals, histotoxic and enterotoxic disease. The many diseases occur as a result of the bacterium’s toxins it produces, many of which are extracellular (Rood et al. 2018). There are >16 toxins that can cause histotoxic and intestinal infections, and it is unclear as to why there are so many different kinds when many have the same target: host cell plasma membranes (Uzal et al. 2014). Each toxin is produced depending on the type of C. perfringens and there are 5 types: A, B, C, D, and E (table 1).
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Drug Resistance

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biofilms...

The Gut Microbiota

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References

Authored for BIOL 238 Microbiology, taught by Joan Slonczewski, 2022, Kenyon College