Cause:Clostridium perfringens.Food (food poisoning) contamination with dirt
Pathophys:Exotoxin produced in food before or rarely after ingestion causing watery diarrhea via Na pump effects. Obligate anaerobes; need to live in dead tissue
In most soils; 8% of people carry in stool. 3rd most common type of food poisoning after staph and salmonella
Sx:12-h incubation period, then diarrhea without vomiting; no fever
r/o other diarrheal illnesses (Diarrhea)
Lab:Bact:Smear shows large gram-pos sporulating bacilli, which in culture produce lecithinase and CO2