English Abstract Over a period of five years (1987-1991) practitioners
in Amsterdam and Helmond have registered patients with complaints of acute
gastro-enteritis. These patients completed a questionnaire and sent faecal
samples to the Public Health Laboratory of Amsterdam or Eindhoven. The
samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella, Shigella and
Campylobacter species and sometimes for other enteropathogens. When
available an aliquot of the sample was sent on to the National Institute of
Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM) where it was examined for
the presence of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxine (CPE). An enzym-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to investigate the presence of CPE.
Faecal samples were also screened for the presence of CPE neutralizing
factors. In total 1261 faecal samples were investigated, 29 had CPE
neutralizing factors. In 1195 (97%) of the remaining 1232 samples, no CPE
was detected and in 37 (3%) samples, CPE was detected in concentrations
varying from 1 to > 1000 ng per gram faeces. Lower concentrations CPE were
mainly found in faeces from children younger than 5 years of age. In one
third of the samples containing CPE, also another micro-organism, capable of
causing complaints of gastro-enteritis, was found. This was especially the
case with CPE concentrations lower than 1000 ng per gram
faeces.
