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Clostridium
(klos-trid´e-әm)
a genus of gram-positive, obligate anaerobic or microaerophilic, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria. Several species cause
gas gangrene, including Clostridium bifermen´tans, Clostridium histioly´ticum, Clostridium no´vyi, Clostridium perfrin´gens (the most common cause), and Clostridium sep´ticum. Other species are Clostridium botuli´num, the cause of botulism; Clostridium diffi´cile, the cause of antibiotic-associated enterocolitis; and Clostridium te´tani, the cause of tetanus.

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