Gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines, is the most common illness caused by Clostridium perfringens. Large groups of people are the typically affected by foods contaminated with Clostridium perfringens. Some estimates have put the number of annual outbreaks to be in excess of 600 per year. According to CDC estimates, as many as 250,000 individuals are affected by Clostridium perfringens each year. The number of Clostridium perfringens foodborne illnesses is greatly under-reported due to the mildness of symptoms, brief illness duration and lack of routine testing by public health officials.
