Clostridium botulinum

Characteristics Symptoms
 Gram - Positive o Botulism Food Poisoning
 Shape – Bacillus o Incubation of 12-36 h
 Motility – None o Presents with ptosis, diplopia, and a
 Oxygen Requirements -
descending paralysis including inability to
Obligate anaerobe swallow, speech difficulties, overall
 Catalase – Negative
weakness of muscles, death from respiratory
 Forms endospores
paralysis
 Virulence Factors o Infant botulism “floppy baby syndrome”
 Botulinum Toxin o Most common presentation
 Heat-labile o 18-36 hours after eating
 Released once bacteria die, and o 3-20 weeks are most commonly affected
irreversibly inhibits the release of o Causes constipation, poor feeding,
acetylcholine at the respiratory distress, flaccid paralysis
neuromuscular junction causing
flaccid paralysis
Diagnosis
Epidemiology
and Risk Groups  Toxin can be detected in serum and gut
 Worldwide
 Spores found in soil Treatment
 Don’t give babies honey until after 1yo
Transmission  Can food properly
 Adults ingest toxin-contaminated foods (often  Heat food properly
improperly canned foods)  Horse heptavalent antitoxin can neutralize
 Babies ingest spores which then germinate in toxin
the GI tract and release the toxin (often in
honey, particularly raw honey)
 Spores can infect wounds or be inhaled but this
is less likely