Distribution of Enterotoxin-Producing Clostridium perfringens in Bay and River Muds

Abstract

A survey on distribution of enterotoxin-producing strains of Clostridium perfringens in the sea muds at 10 stations in the inner part of Ariake Bay and in the muds at the nine rivers running into the bay has been made. In addition, sporulating-ability of the isolates has been estimated, and tests for heat resistance and serotypes of the isolates have been made.
Enterotoxin-producing strains were isolated from the muds at 8 stations in the bay and from the muds at the two rivers. Enterotoxin producibility of a majority of the enterotoxin-producing strains from the bay muds was higher than that of the strains from the river muds.
Ten of 62 isolates from the bay muds were enterotoxin positive, and only two of 38 isolates from the river muds were the positive. Twelve of 46 strains which were both sporogenous and heat-resistant (100°C, 10min) were enterotoxin positive.
Four of 12 strains which were enterotoxin positive belonged to Hobbs' type and the remaining 8 strains were untypable. Four strains of the typable 13 strains were enterotoxin positive.