Clostridium welchiifood poisoning

Abstract

1. Outbreaks of mild food poisoning have been investigated in which heat-resistantCl. welchiiappeared to be the causative organism. The outbreaks were characterized by colic and diarrhoea without vomiting, commencing 8–20 hr. after ingestion of the contaminated food.2. The strains ofCl. welchiiconcerned are only feebly toxigenic, and apart from the heat-resistance of their spores, and some colonial characters, fit well intoCl. welchiiType A. The toxin production and the serology of the strains is uniform within an outbreak.3. Mild food poisoning similar to that seen in natural epidemics has been produced in volunteers by ingestion of cultures of heat-resistantCl. welchiiisolated from contaminated meat.4. Infection is almost invariably due to meat which has been boiled, steamed, braised, stewed or insufficiently roasted, allowed to cool slowly, and eaten the next day, either cold or reheated.5. Outbreaks of this kind should be prevented by cooking meat immediately before consumption; or, if this is impossible, by cooling the cooked meat rapidly and keeping it refrigerated until it is required for use.