Clostridium perfringens is estimated to be the third most common cause of foodborne illness in the United States and a full 91 percent of outbreaks identified with a single food are attributed to meat or poultry products.
Those are among the findings that a group of CDC researchers reported recently in Atlanta at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases 2012.
The bacterium causes 1 million illnesses each year, with outbreaks ranging broadly in number from year to year under no apparent trend. One of the researchers, Julian Grass, did note that that outbreaks peak during the holiday season, when people tend to gather in large groups to eat foods such as roasts, gravies, and poultry that are cooked in large batches or prepared ahead of serving.
From 1998 to 2008, 253 laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of C perfringens illness were reported, which included 74 hospitalizations, and 5 deaths. The annual number of outbreak-related illnesses ranged from 359 to 2,173, with a median outbreak size of 24 illnesses. The biggest outbreak over the 10-year period sickened 950 people.
About half of the outbreaks were attributed to a single food commodity; of those, beef was implicated in 46 percent of the outbreaks. The next most common causes were poultry, which caused 30 percent of outbreaks, and pork, which caused 16 percent.
The report reinforces the food safety axioms of proper cooking, cooling, and hot holding of meats and poultry, especially at large gatherings.
People infected with C. perfringens develop watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 6 to 24 hours (typically 8-12). The illness usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours. Persons infected with C. perfringens usually do not have fever or vomiting. The illness is not passed from one person to another.
Outbreaks often happen in institutions such as hospitals, school cafeterias, prisons, and nursing homes, or at events with catered food.
