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Back to Bacteria Index
Clostridium perfringens
Member of genus Clostridium
Morphology
Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic, gram positive rod shaped
bacterium.
As opposed to other members of this genus, C. perfingens
does not form spores. Clostridia are ubiquitous and found in soil,
decaying vegetation, marine sediment, and the intestinal tract of
humans, other vertebrates, and insects. They are also commonly
recovered from infected sites but usually as a component of a
polymicrobial flora, which makes their role in pathogenesis difficult
to establish. Virtually every soil sample ever examined, with the
exception of the sands of the Sahara, has been shown to contain C.
perfringens.
Cultural characteristics
They are anaerobes. Colonies on blood agar may form zones of
complete hemolysis.
Diseases caused by Clostridium perfringens
C. perfringens is commonly encountered in infections, usually as one
component of a polymicrobial flora. Its role in disease, therefore, is
minor, unless there is evidence of the production of gas at the site
of infection and the production of a specific clostridial toxin.
This
organism is responsible for bacteremia, emphysematous cholecystitis,
and gas gangrene, also known as clostridial myonecrosis.
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