Expansion of the Clostridium perfringens toxin-based typing scheme
Clostridium perfringens causes many different histotoxic and enterotoxic diseases in
humans and animals as a result of its ability to produce potent protein toxins, many of which
are extracellular. The current scheme for the classification of isolates was finalized in the
1960s and is based on their ability to produce a combination of four typing toxins-α-toxin, β-
toxin, ε-toxin and ι-toxin–to divide C. perfringens strains into toxinotypes A to E. However,
this scheme is now outdated since it does not take into account the discovery of other toxins …
humans and animals as a result of its ability to produce potent protein toxins, many of which
are extracellular. The current scheme for the classification of isolates was finalized in the
1960s and is based on their ability to produce a combination of four typing toxins-α-toxin, β-
toxin, ε-toxin and ι-toxin–to divide C. perfringens strains into toxinotypes A to E. However,
this scheme is now outdated since it does not take into account the discovery of other toxins …
