A proposed sero-grouping scheme for epidemiological investigation of food poisoning due to Clostridium perfringens type A.

Serological studies with soluble and particulate antigens of Cl. perfringens type A revealed that enterotoxin and spore antigens could be used as a suitable marker for epidemiological studies. 94% of the food poisoning strains of Cl. perfringens type A could be grouped into 3 groups with the help of 2 enterotoxin-specific sera and 90% in 4 groups with antispore sera. Heat-sensitive strains were found to be antigenically more homogenous than the heat-resistant ones. Sera raised against spores of heat-resistant strains could not agglutinate spore of any of the heat-sensitive strains. Similarly no spores of heat-resistant strains were agglutinable by serum raised against spores of heat-sensitive strains. On the basis of typing efficiency the two antigen, viz enterotoxin and spore antigens were used in the serogrouping scheme proposed for the epidemiological investigation of food poisoning with Cl. perfringens type A. Used together, enterotoxin and spore agglutinogen form an antigenic formula for each strain showing the serogroup to which it belongs.