<i>Clostridium perfringen</i> s Type A Strains Carrying a Plasmid-Borne Enterotoxin Gene (Genotype IS <i>1151</i> - <i>cpe</i> or IS <i>1470</i> -like- <i>cpe</i> ) as a Common Cause of Food Poisoning

Abstract

The prevalences of various genotypes of enterotoxin gene-carrying (cpe-positive) Clostridium perfringens type A in 24 different food poisoning outbreaks were 75% (chromosomal IS1470-cpe), 21% (plasmid-borne IS1470-like-cpe), and 4% (plasmid-borne IS1151-cpe). These results show that C. perfringens type A carrying the plasmid-borne cpe is a common cause of food poisoning.