title: [Determination of clostridium perfringens in pork sausages from the Metropolitan area of Costa Rica].
abstract: The presence of C. perfringens was analyzed in 75 samples of pork sausages (chorizo, salchichon and bologna), obtained from five processing plants located in the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. Previously and after the biochemical identification of the strains, the most probable number (MPN) of C. perfringens per gram of food was determined and it varied from less than 3 to more than 2.4 x 10(5). There were significant statistical differences (p < 0.005) that support the need of employing biochemical tests for confirming C. perfringens in a given food. C. perfringens was present in 92% of the chorizos, in 28% of the bolognas and in 12% of the salchichon. Every positive sample was tested looking for at least one enterotoxigenic strain, using the reverse passive agglutination latex test; 8% of the tested strains were enterotoxigenic and corresponded to chorizo and bologna from one processing plant and chorizo from another plant. The results obtained in this study show that pork sausages, and not just not processed meats, are important as risk factors for food intoxication by C. perfringens.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Costa Rica.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morera
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gamboa
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003364:Costa Rica; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; C035598:enterotoxin, Clostridium