Anaerobic spore forming gram positive bacilli, box-car shaped.
Environmental (soil, water) organism as well as human/animal digestive tract.
Associated with penetrating wounds with environmental exposure.
Gas gangrene/Clostridial myonecrosis
Necrotizing skin and soft tissue infection
Septic abortion
Intra-abdominal abscess
Fatal bacteremia with massive exotoxin-mediated hemolysis
Foodborne self-limited gastrointestinal illness
Most disease is consequence of toxin production (e.g. gas gangrene from alpha toxin with myonecrosis and sepsis or diarrhea from enterotoxin).
Gas gangrene and necrotizing skin and soft tissue infection requires aggressive and urgent surgery as well as antibiotic therapy.