Passive Bacteriocin Typing of Strains of Clostridium perfringens Type A Causing Food Poisoning for Epidemiologic Studies

Abstract

A passive bacteriocin typing system was developed for use as an epidemiologic tool to study outbreaks of food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens type A. The 90 strains tested were from England, the United States, India, Japan, France, and Canada. Forty of 74 strains produced bacteriocin when irradiated with ultraviolet light for 40-90 sec. Eight bacteriocins were concentrated with ammonium sulfate and titrated on a common indicator strain. These bacteriocins were found to be specific for C. perfringens type A. All of the 90 strains were typable, with 16 distinct bacteriocin types. Most (85.56%) of the strains were types 1-6. Strains of C. perfringens type A clustered into certain patterns of bacteriocin types according to their country of origin and source of isolation.

Bacteriophage and bacteriocin typing scheme for Clostridium difficile

“…Bacteriocin or phage production was not limited to isolates from any single geographic area. (Isolates were obtained from the following areas [number of isolates]: Ann Arbor, Mich. [11]; Houston, Tex. [6]; Southfield, Mich. [4]; Traverse City, Mich. [1]; Gastonia, N.C. [1]; and Dayton, Ohio patients, 20 isolates (69%) were susceptible to either phage or bacteriocin.…”

“…Bacteriocins have been applied for the purpose of typing clostridial species (8,11,12). Because the inhibitory activity is more labile and present in lower titer compared with phage, frequent fresh mitomycin C filtrate preparations 16 64 25…”

Unusual Causes of Infectious Diarrhea

“…Passive bacteriocin typ ing of strains including those implicated in outbreaks of food poisoning in several coun tries demonstrated specific strains for each country (i.e. US bacteriocin type 4; England and Wales -types 2 and 6) [4]. This method ology may prove to be a valuable epidemio logic tool.…”

The assessment and application of a bacteriocin typing scheme forClostridium perfringens

“…This approach was adopted by Uchiyama (1966), who was able to divide 74 strains of C. perfringens into four groups on the basis of bacteriocin production, and by Satija & Narayan (1980a), who noted a relation between bacteriocin production and the countries of origin of 90 strains examined.…”