Facts on Botulinum Contamination

And why whey protein is risky

By, Sri Lanka Society for Medical Laboratory Science
kumudeshr@gmail.com / 0094773077717

C. botulinum is a Gram-positive bacterium, which cannot tolerate any more than trace amounts of oxygen. The bacterium produces spores which are very hard to kill and thus help the bacterium survive adverse conditions. C. botulinum is a worry because it can cause botulism, a rare but sometimes fatal illness. "Botulism is caused by the ability of C. botulinum to produce several neurotoxins which prevent acetylcholine from being released from the motor nerve endings causing flaccid paralysis and symptoms of blurred vision, drooping eyelids, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation and cramps. In severe cases it leads to paralysis of the breathing muscles and causes respiratory failure.

Botulism
Most people know that botulism is dangerous, but many are confused about whether it's an infection or a case of poisoning. In fact, it can be both. Clostridium botulinum is a worldwide bacterium that inhabits rivers, soil, and the guts of mammals, fish, and shellfish. It's not an organism that normally makes its living by attacking humans. We most often encounter C. botulinum by accident. C. botulinum secretes a neurotoxin (nerve poison) that can weaken or paralyze muscles and can even cause death. This is botulin toxin, one of the most dangerous substances known. Botulism is the condition of having been poisoned with C. botulinum toxin.

Causes of Botulism
Botulism is rare, but there are still cases every year. There are three ways to get botulism:

Food borne
Botulism occurs when food contaminated with the toxin is eaten. The bacteria are dead or gone by the time you eat the food, but the toxin remains. Most food borne botulism is attributed to home-canned foods, but outbreaks occasionally occur in commercially-prepared foods.

Infant botulism
Infants botulism occurs when infants under 12 months of age eat bacterial spores rather than the toxins. Spores of C. botulinum then grow in the infant's intestines, where they produce toxins. Honey can contain spores of C. botulinum and is associated with infant botulism and should not be given to children under one year old. Infant botulism is rare.

Wound botulism
Wound botulism occurs when live bacteria infect an open cut and the toxin is carried through the body by the blood.

Sri Lanka Society for Medical Laboratory Science

kumudeshr@gmail.com / 00943077717