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Phylum	Class	Order	Family	Genus	Species/Subspecies

Species/Subspecies:

Clostridium perfringens

Categories:

Zoonotic; causes hemolysis; spore forming; in the normal flora

Etymology:

Genus name: a small spindle.
Species epithet: breaking through, breaking in pieces.

Significance:

[Very important]

Taxonomy:

Phylum
Bacillota

Class
Clostridia

Order
Clostridiales

Family
Clostridiaceae

Genus
Clostridium

Type Strain:

ATCC 13124 = CCUG 1795 = NCTC 8237.

Macromorphology (smell):

Form large translucent, flat and filamentous colonies (about 5 mm in diameter) with irregular edges. Fluoresces in red on blood agar in the presence of carbohydrates. Most strains give a double hemolysis zone on bovine blood agar.

Micromorphology:

Large non-motile rods (0.6-2.4 x 1.3-19.0 µm). Form spores, but this is rarely seen. They are large oval and central or subterminal.

Gram +/Gram -:

G+

Metabolism:

Anaerobic (but not very strict).

Catalase/Oxidase:

-/-

Other Enzymes:

Esculinase v, lechithinase +, tryptophanase -.

Fermentation of carbohydrates:

D-glucose
?

lactose
+

maltose
+

L-rhamnose
-

sucrose
+

L-arabinose
-

cellobiose
(-)

D-mannitol
-

salicin
-

trehalose
v

glycerol
?

inulin
(-)

raffinose
v

D-sorbitol
(-)

starch
v

Other carbohydrates: Fructose +, galactose (+), mannose +, ribose v

Spec. Char.:

Optimal growth temperature: 43-47°C.

Special Media:

Tryptose Sulfite Cycloserine agar (TSC agar) is used for isolation and enumeration of both vegetative cells and spores of C. perfringens in food and clinical samples.

Disease:

Hosts	Pathotype	Disease	Clinical picture
Humans	A	Food poisoning	Diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea
Sheep (lambs)	A B C D E	A. Enterotoxemic jaundice (Yellow Lamb Disease) B. Lamb dysentery C. Struck, also known as necrotic enteritis D. Pulpy kidney disease E. Hemorrhagic enteritis	A. Anaemia, icterus, hemoglobinuria, death within 6-12 h B. Hemorrharhagic enteritis, rapid, fatal (young lambs) C. Necrotic enteritis, adult sheep D. Enterotoxemia (“overeating disease”), hemorrharhagic, rapid, fatal, fever. Mostly large ram lambs on pasture (sudden change in feed with high-energy diet), vaccine for pregnant dams is available E. Hemorrhagic enteritis, lamb, rare cases
Poultry	A C	Nekrotic enteritis (clostridios)	Sudden high mortality, chicken up to 12 weeks of age
Pig	A C	Nekrotic enteritis (clostridios)	Contagious enteritis in pigs (piglet diarrhea). Rapid course & high mortality (50-100%) (vaccine for sows available)
Cattle (calves)	A C D E	A. Abomasitis, A, C, D. Nekrotic enteritis (clostridios), mostly calves <1 week, rapid E. Hemorrhagic enteritis	A. Abomasitis, especially calves (<1 month) A, C, D. Necrotizing enteritis, severe, usually fatal, bloody diarrhea, sudden death in calves < 1 week E. Hemorrhagic enteritis, calves, rare cases
Horse	A	Gas gangrene (clostridial myonecrosis; malignant edema)	Severe rapidly progressive, muscle necrosis and gas production within tissue.

Virulence Factors:

Hemolysins (α-, δ-and Î¸-toxin), etc.

Genome Sequence:

Acc-no	Strain	Size (bp)	Genome
NC_003366	13	3 031 430	1c + 1c

Three strains have been sequenced and they have 0-3 circular plasmids.

16S rRNA Seq.:

Acc-no	Strain	Number of NT	Operon
AB075767	ATCC 13124^T	1 460	10

Taxonomy/phylogeny:

About 180 differens species have been descibed within genus Clostridium. C. chauvoei C. perfringens belongs to the same phylogenetic group of clostridia as, among others, C. chauvoei and C. septicum.

Comment:

C. perfingens is divided in different groups depending upon which enterotoxins that are produced. Type A produces α-toxin. Type B produces α-, β-and Îµ-toxin. Type C produces α-and β-toxin. Type D produces α-and Îµ-toxin. Type E produces α-and Î¹-toxin.

Reference(s):

No. 8, 35, 33

Link:

Clostridia.net

Updated:

2025-12-31

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