Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In the United States and Europe, food poisoning due to
Clostridium perfringens
type A is predominantly caused by
C. perfringens
isolates carrying a chromosomal enterotoxin gene (
cpe
). Neither the reservoir for these isolates nor the point in the food chain where these bacteria contaminate foods is currently understood. Therefore, the current study investigated whether type A isolates carrying a chromosomal
cpe
gene are present in two potential reservoirs, i.e., soil and home kitchen surfaces. No
C. perfringens
isolates were recovered from home kitchen surfaces, but most surveyed soil samples contained
C. perfringens
. The recovered soil isolates were predominantly type A, but some type C, D, and E soil isolates were also identified. All
cpe
-positive isolates recovered from soil were genotyped as type A, with their
cpe
genes on
cpe
plasmids rather than the chromosome. However, two
cpe
-positive soil isolates did not carry a classical
cpe
plasmid. Both of those atypical
cpe
-positive soil isolates were sporulation capable yet failed to produce
C. perfringens
enterotoxin, possibly because of differences in their upstream promoter regions. Collectively these results suggest that neither soil nor home kitchen surfaces represent major reservoirs for type A isolates with chromosomal
cpe
that cause food poisoning, although soil does appear to be a reservoir for
cpe
-positive isolates causing non-food-borne gastrointestinal diseases.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology
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