Isolation and Identification of Clostridium perfringens and its Enterotoxin in Food poisoning Patients

Abstract

Background: Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), which is one of the most common cause’s foodborne illnesses and contribute to diarrhea that is associated with broadspectrum antibiotic treatment.
Objectives: This study focuses on diagnosis of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) from patients suffering from food poisoning and diarrhea associated with antibiotic treatment cases in stool samples and to determine the resistance of isolated against antibiotics.
Methods: Samples were taken during the period of first of June 2015 until the end of April 2016 from Baghdad hospitals. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin in stool samples. Api 20A kit and culture to confirm isolation and identification was used, disk diffusion was performed for antibiotic resistance.
Results: The infection cases increased among old adult age group, were (8.7%) and their age range was (64≥) years old,and children (5.3%) their age range was(15≤) years old. Overall positivity was (23%) in present studied groups and infection increased with causes of food poisoning (61.5%).
Conclusion: This study revealed that the majority percent from age ≥64year (8.7%) and this percent decreased under this age. The future advances research should explain the epidemiology of enterotoxigenic C. perfringens and also participate to the prevention of C. perfringens food poisoning outbreaks and other CPE-associated human diseases.