Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium of the genus Clostridium. C. perfringens is ubiquitous in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract of humans and other vertebrates, insects, and soil.C. perfringens is commonly encountered in infections as a benign component of the normal flora. In this case, its role in disease is minor. Infections due to C. perfringens show evidence of tissue necrosis, bacteremia, emphysematous cholecystitis, and gas gangrene, which is also known as clostridial myonecrosis. The toxin involved in gas gangrene is known as alpha toxin, which inserts into the plasma membrane of cells, producing gaps in the membrane that disrupt normal cellular function.C. perfringens bacteria are the third most common cause of food-borne illness, with poorly prepared meat and poultry the main culprits in harboring the bacterium. The Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) mediating the disease is often heat-resistant and can be detected in contaminated food and feces.
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