Clostridium perfringens is a gram-positive bacterium of the genus "Clostridium". "C. perfringens" is ubiquitous in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract of humans and other vertebrates, insects, and soil. "C. perfringens" is a human pathogen sometimes, and other times it can be ingested and not cause any harm.