Abstract
The distribution of Clostridium perfringens in the normal human intestinal tracts was investigated in order to provide the proper interpretation of the results of bacteriological examinations to be undertaken when a food poisoning breaks out. Cl. perfringens was detected in almost all the fecal specimens from healthy persons. The actual count ranged from 101 to 108 per one gram of feces. The total count of the organisms detected in both heated and unheated feces fluctuated considerably, even in specimens from the same person. The fluctuation of the count fell within a certain range, although the counts often varied depending upon each individual.
The counts of the organisms detected in the specimens heated at 80C correlated to a certain extent to those in the corresponding unheated specimens, but such a correlation was not found when the specimens were heated at 90C or higher temperature. Such organisms that resisted against the heating at 100C for 60 minutes were detected in the specimens from healthy persons at about 50 per cent, and the count ranged from 101 to 106 per one gram of the feces.
The organisms lost the heat resistance when grown in a medium containing carbohydrate. General failure encountered in isolating Cl. perfringens from the foodstuffs responsible for outbreaks of food poisoning may be explainable from the action of carbohydrate included in the foodstuffs.
