Clostridium perfringens - definition of Clostridium perfringens in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Clostridium /Clos·trid·i·um/ (klos-trid´e-um) a genus of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria (family Bacillaceae).

Clostridium bifermen´tans a species common in feces, sewage, and soil and associated with gas gangrene.

Clostridium botuli´num the causative agent of botulism, divided into six types (A through F) which elaborate immunologically distinct toxins.

Clostridium diffi´cile a species often occurring transiently in the gut of infants, but whose toxin causes pseudomembranous enterocolitis in those receiving prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Clostridium histoly´ticum a species found in feces and soil.

Clostridium kluy´veri a species used in the study of both microbial synthesis and microbial oxidation of fatty acids.

Clostridium no´vyi an important cause of gas gangrene.

Clostridium oedema´tiens C. novyi.

Clostridium perfrin´gens the most common etiologic agent of gas gangrene, distinguishable as several different types; type A causes human gas gangrene, colitis, and food poisoning and type C causes enteritis.

Clostridium ramo´sum a species found in human and animal infections and feces and commonly isolated from clinical specimens.

Clostridium sporo´genes a species widespread in nature, reportedly associated with pathogenic anaerobes in gangrenous infections.

Clostridium ter´tium a species found in feces, sewage, and soil and present in some gangrenous infections.

Clostridium te´tani a common inhabitant of soil and human and horse intestines, and the cause of tetanus in humans and domestic animals.

Clostridium wel´chii British name for C. perfringens.

Clostridium per·frin·gens (p

r-fr

nz) or Clostridium welchii (w

)

Gas bacillus.

Clostridium perfringens

Etymology: Gk, kloster, spindle

a species of anaerobic gram-positive bacteria capable of causing gas gangrene and food poisoning in humans and various digestive and urinary tract diseases in livestock. The oval spores of the bacteria are found in the soil and in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. It is the third most common form of food poisoning in the United States and the United Kingdom. Incubation time is 8 to 16 hours. Symptoms include abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Vomiting is rare. Also called Clostridium welchii.

Clostridium

a genus of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria of the family Bacillaceae. Most are gram-positive rods.

Clostridium bifermentans, Clostridium sordelli

see malignant edema.

Clostridium botulinum

causes botulism from neurotoxin produced during vegetative growth. C. botulinum types B, C and D are associated with disease in animals but the type prevalence varies geographically. See botulism.

Clostridium butyricum

involved in the spoilage of meat.

Clostridium cadaveris

may be associated with colitis X in horses.

Clostridium chauvoei

formerly called C. feseri. See blackleg.

Clostridium colinum

cause of ulcerative enteritis and liver necrosis in quail, turkeys, grouse, partridge and chickens. Not an accredited species.

Clostridium difficile

see antibiotic-associated colitis.

Clostridium feseri

now called C. chauvoei (above).

Clostridium haemolyticum

formerly called C. novyi type D. See bacillary hemoglobinuria.

Clostridium histolyticum

a species found in feces, soil and sometimes wound infections. An important cause of meat spoilage.

Clostridium nigrificans

a thermophilic spoiler of canned meat producing hydrogen sulfide gas and causing purple staining of the inside of the can. Now called Desulfotomaculum nigrificans.

Clostridium novyi

see infectious necrotic hepatitis. See also C. haemolyticum (above). Previously called C. oedematiens. Type A causes malignant edema in cattle and sheep, and big head in rams, type B causes infectious necrotic hepatitis (black disease), and type C has been associated with osteomyelitis in buffalo.

Clostridium overgrowth

see bacterial overgrowth.

Clostridium parabotulinum

a proteolytic subgroup of C. botulinum; not a valid species.

Clostridium perfringens

cause of enterotoxemia. Type A causes malignant edema, type B causes dysentery in lambs and enterotoxemia, type C causes struck in sheep and necrotic enteritis in piglets, type D causes enterotoxemia and type E causes necrotic enteritis. Previously called C. welchii.

Clostridium putrefaciens

causes deep bone taint in hams. See also C. putrificum (below).

Clostridium putrificum

a cause of bone taint in cured hams. There is no detectable abnormality on the surface of the ham.

Clostridium septicum

formerly called C. septique. See malignant edema, braxy.

Clostridium sordelli

cause of a small proportion of cases of gas gangrene in ruminants. See also abomasitis.

Clostridium spiroforme

associated with enteritis and enterocolitis in rabbits, guinea pigs and foals.

Clostridium sporogenes

an apathogenic clostridium often found in lesions of gas gangrene.

Clostridium tetani

a common inhabitant of soil and human and horse intestines, and the cause of tetanus in humans and domestic animals.

Clostridium villosum

found in fight abscesses and pleurisy in cats.

Clostridium welchii

see C. perfringens (above).

Clostridium perfringens

Infectious disease An anaerobic gram-positive spore-forming rod, widely distributed in nature and present in the intestine of humans and other mammals. C perfringens type A accounts for ±15% of outbreaks of food poisoning in the US