EVALUATION OF THE ELISA AS TOOL IN DIAGNOSING CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXINS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 179  (3) , 225-234
Abstract
Detecting C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) using ELISA was evaluated as a tool for diagnosing enterotoxicosis caused by C. perfringens. This method was assessed during different food poisoning outbreaks with possible C. perfringens associations. CPE can easily be detected in feces of patients involved in food-borne disease caused by C. perfringens. In stools of patients with diarrhea, 0.01-10 .mu.g/g of CPE is detectable; however, not all samples examined are found to contain CPE. CPE in feces maintains its immunological stability over a long period (> 20 days at room temperature) enabling samples to be stored for some time before assay. ELISA is also useful for detection of CPE in culture fluids of C. perfringens strains isolated from feces and from any remaining food considered to have caused the food poisoning outbreak. Detection of CPE in stools combined with testing for CPE production in C. perfringens strains isolated from feces and from the suspect food seems to give good evidence linking a food-borne disease outreak with C. perfringens.

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