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Clostridium perfringens type A & antibiotic associated diarrhoea
Chetana Vaishnavi1, Sukhminderjit Kaur, Kartar Singh
1Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research Chandigarh, India. medinst@pgi.chd.nic.in
The Indian Journal of Medical Research
|August 18, 2005
Summary
Clostridium perfringens type A (CPA) was detected in 8.77% of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) patients in North India. CPA may contribute to AAD, potentially alongside Clostridium difficile infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Clostridium perfringens type A (CPA) produces lethal toxins and heat-resistant forms linked to human illness.
- CPA is suspected to play a role in antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of CPA in stool samples from patients with AAD in North India.
Main Methods:
- 285 stool samples from patients suspected of Clostridium difficile were tested for CPA antigens.
- Latex bead agglutination assay using polyvalent immune sera against 17 CPA serotypes was employed.
Main Results:
- CPA antigens were detected in 8.77% (25/285) of samples.
- 92% of positive cases were from patients on antibiotics.
- 36% of CPA-positive samples also tested positive for C. difficile toxin.
Conclusions:
- CPA may be a causative agent or a contributing factor in AAD, possibly in synergy with C. difficile.
- Further studies are needed to determine the full burden of CPA-associated AAD for effective control strategies.