RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Detection of Clostridium perfringens and its enterotoxin in cases of sporadic diarrhoea.
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 609
OP 611
DO 10.1136/jcp.45.7.609
VO 45
IS 7
A1 M M Brett
A1 J C Rodhouse
A1 T J Donovan
A1 G M Tebbutt
A1 D N Hutchinson
YR 1992
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/45/7/609.abstract
AB AIMS: To determine the incidence of sporadic and apparently non-food related diarrhoea associated with Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. METHODS: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reversed phase latex agglutination (RPLA) were used to detect C perfringens enterotoxin in faecal specimens from 818 sporadic cases of diarrhoea. RESULTS: C perfringens enterotoxin was identified as a cause of sporadic diarrhoea in 56 of 818 (6.8%) cases. Diarrhoea was prolonged (three days or more) in most cases. Ages ranged from 3 months to 89 years, although most patients were over 60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that C perfringens may be a cause of sporadic cases of diarrhoea when causes such as food consumption or cross-infection are absent, particularly in the elderly.