Pathogenesis of Hobbs' heat-sensitive spore forming Clostridium perfringens type A strain.

Food poisoning in man due to heat-sensitive strains of Cl. perfringens type A appeared to be mediated through enterotoxin synthesized in vivo during sporulation. A minimum of 2.0 X 10(5) vegetative cells suspended in sporulation medium was sufficient to elicit gut-loop response in rabbits. The functional disturbance in the gut as well as the structural changes were progressive and proportional to the size of the inoculum up to a dose limit of 2.0 X 10(7) vegetative cells and beyond this the changes remained steady.