Morphology, cultural and biochemical characters
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Gram +ve, highly pleomorphic, chracteristic long filamentous forms are seen in stained smears of affected muscle.
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Cigar shaped rods and citron forms are more common. Spores are oval, central or subterminal. Non-capsulated, motile by peritrichous flagella.
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Strict anaerobe, growth at an opt.temp of 370C, growth is promoted by glucose.
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On ordinary media, the colonies are irregular and transparent initially, turning opaque (large, grayish white on continued incubation).
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The colonies are swarming and spreading over the entire surface.
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On stiff agar, the colonies are irregular with a rhizoid edge. Some strains produce smooth, round colonies.
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In cooked meat medium meat turns pink with rancid odour, and produces abundant gas (because, it is saccharolytic).
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Like, C.perfringens, the C.septicum inoculated into litmus milk produces the classical stormy clot or stormy fermentation reaction.
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Ferment glucose, lactose, maltose and salicin but not sucrose. Acid and gas are not produced.
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Last modified: Monday, 4 June 2012, 4:44 AM