Clostridium perfringens is the third most common cause of food poisoning in the United States (after Salmonella and Staphylococcus) and is usually associated with improperly cooked meats or meat products such as gravy.
It usually presents with diarrhea and crampy abdominal pain 7 to 19 hours after ingestion and will subside in 2 to 3 days
C perfringens can also cause a necrotizing enteritis (called “pig bel” in New Guinea) which usually begins with fever, vomiting, and diarrhea lasting a few days, followed by the onset of abdominal pain, distension, and the passage of bloody stools. Some may develop signs of intestinal perforation, peritonitis, and shock. The mortality rate is quite high. The treatment includes both the usual treatment for sepsis as well as the possibility of surgical resection of gangrenous bowel.
