Detection of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin in human fecal samples and anti-enterotoxin in sera.
By using counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin was successfully demonstrated in fecal samples collected within 1 day of attack from sick individuals involved in a bacteriologically and epidemiologically proven outbreak of C. perfringens food poisoning. In contrast, enterotoxin was not demonstrable in fecal samples of apparently healthy individuals both at high- and low-risk exposure to the organism and enterotoxin or in fecal samples collected 4 to 5 days after a food poisoning outbreak. A 100% prevalence of C. perfringens anti-enterotoxin in sera of human volunteers at high- as well as low-risk exposure to the organism and enterotoxin was recorded with CIEP.
D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D000992:Antitoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D003378:Counterimmunoelectrophoresis; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D012306:Risk
D000992:Antitoxins; D004768:Enterotoxins