Clostridium

botulinum
and Botulism
A
Caitlin, Farida, Nino, Natalie and
Simon
Presentation
 OUTLINE
► Introduction to C. Botulinum
► Introduction to Botulism
► Infant Botulism
► Food-Borne Botulism
► Wound Botulism
► Bioterrorism
Clostridium botulinum
► Gram positive rods
► Spore forming
► Anaerobic bacteria
► Produces toxin that
causes botulism
► Seven neurotoxic
subtypes, labeled
A-G
► First recognized and
isolated in 1896 by
Van Ermengem
 Botulism
► Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease
► It is caused by the potent protein toxin
released from C. botulinum
► Once released into the bloodstream it
irreversibly binds to the acetylcholine
receptors in the neuromuscular junction
► It alters the mechanism for acetylcholine
release, making the neuron unresponsive to
action potentials
► Three major types: Infant, food-borne, and
wound
► Potential bio-weapon due to its potency
 Infant Botulism
► Most common form
► 2 per 100,000 live births in US
► Afflicts babies from 1 week –
1 year
► Antigenic variations types A/B
► Caused by:
 Ingesting contaminated foodstuff
 Lack of breast milk
 Untreated natural honey and corn syrup
 Household dust containing C. botulinum spores
 Infant Botulism
Signs and Symptoms Treatment and Recovery
► Poor feeding (weak sucking) ► New drug: BabyBIG®,
► Weak gag
Botulism Immune Globulin
► Weak cry Intravenous (Human)
► Decreased movement (BIG-IV)
► Appearing lethargic
► Flat, blunted facial expression
► Drastically reduces
lethargy, IV feeding and
► Trouble swallowing
overall hospital stay
► Excessive drooling
► Muscle weakness
► With early detection,
► Breathing problems
proper treatment, no long
► Ptosis (Drooping eyelids)
term effects observed
► Poor head control
► Decreased anal sphincter tone
► Decreased deep tendon reflexes
 Food-borne Botulism
► Second most common form
► Caused by eating food containing
the toxin produced by C. botulinum
► Antigenic variations types A/E
► Non-commercially canned food is at a higher
risk for being contaminated
► Dangerous because most contaminated
foods cannot be detected until too late
 Food-borne Botulism
Signs and Symptoms Prevention
► 12 – 36 hrs after ► Inspect canned food for
► Muscle weakness,  Bulging
► Diarrhea  Loose lids
 Mold
► Blurred vision  Odor
► Vomiting ► Proper home canning
► Eventual Paralysis procedures:
Treatment and Recovery  Hygiene
► Equine Botulinum Antitoxin  Time schedule,
 Proper processing method
► Lingering symptoms are  Equipment
fatigue and respiratory
difficulty
► Avoiding home canning or
cheaply produced
► With early detection, commercial food
proper treatment, no long
term effects observed
 Wound Botulism
► Least common, but on the rise
► Occurs when spores inoculate a wound and
anaerobic conditions allow germination and
subsequent production of the toxin
► Associated with IV drug use (rise in black
tar heroine use), and medical equipment
ex. catheters
► Often misdiagnosed as other
neurological syndromes
 Bioterrorism

► C. botulinum is one pathogenic microorganism that

has been researched and developed into a
biological weapon.
► Many countries, and now terrorists, have developed
and used botulinum toxin as a biological weapon.
 From 1990 to 1995, aerosols were dispersed at
multiple sites in downtown Tokyo and at US
military installations in Japan on at least 3
occasions by Japanese terrorists.
 In 1995, Iraq revealed that it had deployed more
than 11,000 L of botulinum toxin into specially
designed SCUD missiles.
Bioterrorism

► Smallpox and anthrax may be

getting the most attention, but
bio-defense researchers have long been concerned
about botulinum toxin, the deadliest of all
potential toxic threats gram for gram.
► A biological attack with the botulinum toxin would
more likely be dispersed in an aerosolized form.
► Currently, the US military possesses limited
quantities of an investigational heptavalent
antitoxin, which might be available in the event of
a terrorist attack
QUESTIONS