Multiple typing techniques applied to a Clostridium perfringens food poisoning outbreak

Twenty-one stool specimens obtained from persons implicated in two food poisoning outbreaks at the same institution in Smith Falls, Ontario, were examined for Clostridium perfringens. Ninety-two colonies of Cl. perfringens (3-5 per stool specimen) were typed with antisera, bacteriocins and by plasmid analysis. They were also tested for the in vitro production of bacteriocin and enterotoxin. Sixteen of the 21 stool specimens were tested directly for enterotoxin. This was detected in 13, five of which were from individuals listed as 'asymptomatic' food handlers. The predominant strain isolated from 15 of the 21 stool samples produced bacteriocin and enterotoxin in vitro, contained no plasmids, and was of a common bacteriocin type and serotype.