Question

What is the most important metabolic quality of Clostridium bacteria and the type of diseases they cause?

Answer 1

The clostridia are ancient evolutionary ancestors within the Gram-positive bacteria. Outstanding biological properties of this importantgroup of bacteria include their strict anaerobic metabolism, the formation of resistant endospores, and the synthesis of a wide array of distinctive toxins and enzymes.

The most common clostridial infection is gastroenteritis (Clostridium perfringens food poisoning), a usually mild infection that typically resolves on its own. Serious clostridial infections are relatively rare but can be fatal.

Clostridia cause disease in different ways, depending on the species:

• The bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) may produce a toxin in food, which is then consumed, as occurs in food-borne botulism.

• The bacteria may be consumed in food, then multiply and produce a toxin in the intestine, as occurs in Clostridium perfringens food poisoning.