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Which of the following species causes infections characterized by tissue death and foul-smelling gaseous waste products?

a. Clostridium difficile

b. Clostridium tetani

c. Clostridium perfringens

d. Clostridium botulinum

User ShinNoNoir
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Final answer:

Clostridium perfringens causes infections with tissue death and foul-smelling gaseous waste, known as gas gangrene.

Step-by-step explanation:

The species that causes infections characterized by tissue death and foul-smelling gaseous waste products is Clostridium perfringens. This gram-positive, endospore-forming bacterium is an obligate anaerobe that thrives in environments devoid of oxygen, such as dead tissue.

When Clostridium perfringens endospores enter a wound, they can germinate into viable cells and begin to produce toxins, leading to a serious condition known as gas gangrene. Gas gangrene is signified by the rapid spreading of myonecrosis, which includes muscle tissue death, and is accompanied by severe pain, a foul odor due to gaseous waste, and the potential for septic shock and organ failure.

User Marcman
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