Food poisoning: C. perfringens is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in United States and Canada Footnote 5. Contaminated meats contained in stews, soups and gravies are usually responsible for outbreaks in developed countries Footnote 1 and causes about 250,000 cases of food borne illness every year in USA Footnote 4. Deaths due to the disease are rare and occur mainly in elderly, debilitated, or individuals predisposed to the disease Footnote 4.