Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Clostridium Perfringens

BacteriaClostridium Perfringens Outbreak:
An outbreak of perfringens poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens at Central Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana has killed 3 and sickened over 40, according to health officials at the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.  Epidemiological evidence suggests that chicken salad served at the hospital was contaminated with Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens). 

The following information on Clostridium perfringens is provided by Pritzker Olsen law firm. Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker has appeared on CBS News, Fox News and local TV stations around the country. He has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, Law & Politics and other publications. To contact Pritzker Olsen about a clostridium perfringens lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

What is Clostridium Perfringens?

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a bacterium that can contaminate food, forming spores that spread throughout the food. These spores produce a food poisoning toxin that makes people sick when it gets to the small intestine. The illness caused by C. perfringens is called perfringens poisoning.

The common form of perfringens poisoning is characterized by intense abdominal cramps and diarrhea which begin 8-22 hours after consumption of foods containing large numbers of those C. perfringens bacteria. The illness is usually over within 24 hours but less severe symptoms may persist in some individuals for 1 or 2 weeks.

Deaths from perfringens poisoning have been reported as a result of dehydration and other complications. Death from C. perfringens can also be the result of Necrotic enteritis (pig-bel). Necrotic enteritis caused by C. perfringens is often fatal. This disease also begins as a result of ingesting large numbers of C. perfringens bacteria in contaminated foods. Deaths from necrotic enteritis (pig-bel syndrome) are caused by infection and necrosis of the intestines and from resulting septicemia.

In most instances, the actual cause of poisoning by C. perfringens is temperature abuse of prepared foods. Small numbers of the organisms are often present after cooking and multiply to food poisoning levels during cool down and storage of prepared foods. Meats, meat products, and gravy are the foods most frequently implicated.

Perfringens poisoning is one of the most commonly reported foodborne illnesses in the U.S. There were 1,162 cases in 1981, in 28 separate outbreaks. At least 10-20 outbreaks have been reported annually in the U.S. for the past 2 decades. Typically, dozens or even hundreds of person are affected. It is probable that many outbreaks go unreported because the implicated foods or patient feces are not tested routinely for C. perfringens or its toxin. CDC estimates that about 10,000 actual cases occur annually in the U.S.

Institutional feeding (such as school cafeterias, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, etc.) where large quantities of food are prepared several hours before serving is the most common circumstance in which perfringens poisoning occurs. The young and elderly are the most frequent victims of perfringens poisoning. Except in the case of pig-bel syndrome, complications are few in persons under 30 years of age. Elderly persons are more likely to experience prolonged or severe symptoms.

What can be done to prevent Clostridium perfringensinfection?

To prevent Clostridium perfringens, food handlers should be sure to wash your hands before preparing or serving foods and after handling raw meat or poultry. Meat and poultry based foods should be cooked thoroughly. Clostridium perfringens grows best between 45° and 140° F., so it is best to keep hot foods hot (above 140° F.) and cold foods cold (below 40° F.). If a large portion of food is leftover, it should be divided into smaller portions not over three inches deep to refrigerate so it cools quickly. Foods should be refrigerated immediately and not left at room temperature to cool. Prepared food should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours. Food should be reheaated to at least that 165° F.

Food Poisoning Lawyer:
Attorney with Experience and a Record of Success

Attorney Fred PritzkerAttorney Fred Pritzker is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum; a Certified Civil Advocate (National Board of Trial Advocacy); and a Certified Trial Specialist (Minnesota State Bar Association). He has also been selected by other lawyers for inclusion in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Pritzker has also recovered millions of dollars for food poisoning victims, including:

  • Over $3,000,000 for a pregnant woman who lost her unborn twins after contracting a foodborne illness
  • $2,700,000 for the family of an 81-year-old man who died after contracting a foodborne illness
  • Over $1,000,000 for a client who became ill from contaminated ground beef
  • Over $1,000,000 for a client who became ill after eating contaminated deli meat

The results of the cases above were based on the facts. The facts of most cases do not support million-dollar recoveries.

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