Clostridium tertium isolated from feed

Abstract

Although Clostridium tertium is supposed to be a foodborne pathogen, the data on its detection in foodstuff s is scarce, and there are no reports on its isolation from feed. In this communication paper, the isolation of C. tertium from a sample of soya semolina is described. C. tertium may be important in diff erential diagnosis, when it is to be distinguished from Clostridium perfringens. It is a unique species due to the lack of key characteristics of the genus it belongs to because it grows in the presence of oxygen and does not produce toxins. It has been well-documented as a human pathogen, although its mechanisms of pathogenicity are still unknown. According to sporadic reports in veterinary medicine, it has been identifi ed as a rare causative agent of infections in cattle, pigs, birds and marine mammals.