Clostridial Diseases

Question 1

Clostridium Perfringens

Answer 1

• obligate anaerobe, spore forming, gram(+)
• bacterial benign, diarrheal food poisoning
• rare: necrotizing enteritis (enterotoxins-ulcerating ß-toxin)–necrosis: fatal
• GAS GANGRENE: myotoxin–alpha toxin (alpha lecithinase–phospholipase) that destroys cell membranes leading to severe hemolysis and muscle necrosis–SEVERE

Question 2

Tetanus (Clostridium Tetani)

Answer 2

• obligate anaerobe, gram(+), spore forming
• causes ascending paralysis
• produces potent neurotoxin tetanospasmin (blocks release of inhibitory neuropeptides) that causes lock jaw, and respiratory spasm–death
• invades through contamination of open wounds

Question 3

Botulism (Clostridium Botulinum)

Answer 3

• neurotoxin present in improperly canned food (blocks acetylcholine release): Don’t feed newborns honey
• descending paralysis, blurred vision
• untreated: lethal
• antitoxin- 25% mortality

Question 4

Clostridium difficile

Answer 4

• obligate anaerobe, spore forming, gram(+)
• acute necrotizing infection of small bowel and colon responsible for antibiotic-associated diarrheas (clindamycin most responsible)
• Produces cytotoxins A + B
• opportunistic–resides in colon flora
• pseudomembranous colitis