Botulism

Botulism

What is Botulism?

Food Borne Botulism

Toxin is ingested, often from home-processed foods and improper canning techniques

Important Information

• A disease that infects the nervous system
• Distinguishing characteristic: causes flaccid paralysis, where muscles become very weak and can go limp due to botulinum blocking the release of the neurotransmitter involved in muscle contraction
• Three major forms:

1. Food borne

2. Infant

3. Wound

Wound Botulism

Botulinum toxin enters the bloodstream through a wound or puncture

Test Question

Historical and Background Information

Flaccid paralysis is caused when:

Infant Botulism

Entrance of the botulinum toxin into the bloodstream due to babies' immature immune systems

• First recorded case was in 1735
• First associated with sausage consumption
• The name botulism comes from the Latin word for sausage (named by John Muller, a German physician, in 1870)

Flaccid paralysis in babies: floppy baby syndrome

A. The botulinum toxin blocks the release of the neurotransmitter that initiates the signal for muscle contraction

B. Tetanospasmin blocks the inhibition of muscle contraction

C. Amoebas cause inflammation of the brain and meninges

D. The spinal cord is infected by an acute enterovirus

Mode of Action

Treatment

Botulism is treated differently based on mode

of transmission.

• Food borne Botulism: doctors will typically clear the digestive tract by inducing vomiting and/or bowel movements.
• Wound Botulism: a doctor will possibly surgically remove the infected tissue. Once tissue was remove, the patient would be given an antibiotic.
• Infant Botulism: treated in early cases with botulism immune globulin.
• If caught early, both food borne and wound botulism can be treated with antitoxins. The antitoxin will stop the toxin in the blood from causing damage to nerves. This can only be used in early found cases because reverse damage done by the toxin, it can only prevent farther damage.

Botulism Today

Prevention

Current Events Cont.

Home canned foods are big sources of botulism, because:

• They aren't acidic enough to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria, and
• They aren't canned correctly (specifically pressure canning.)

When canning foods of low acidity (almost all vegetables), one can only use pressure canning methods, because any other method will allow the botulinum bacteria into the canned foods.

One of the largest outbreaks of botulism was in April of 2015 after a church potluck in Ohio. Twenty-nine people were infected with botulism after eating a potato salad made with home-canned potatoes; these potatoes were made with a boiling water canner, not a pressurized one.

Most prevention methods are for food borne

botulism. These methods include:

• Using proper canning techniques such as pressure cooking and boiling.
• Not eating spoiled foods
• Only consume infused oils if they are stored in a refrigerated environment.

Prevention of infant botulism include:

• Avoiding giving infants honey

Prevent of wound botulism include:

• Avoiding injectable drugs such as heroine and methamphetamine.

Current Events

Epidemiology

• Today doctors use the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum for
• Temporary smoothing of facial wrinkles and improving your appearance
• Severe underarm sweating
• Cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions
• Blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking
• Strabismus - misaligned eyes
• Chronic migraine
• Overactive bladder
• Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves.
• The effects last about three to twelve months depending on what is being treated

Botulism is most commonly found in soil and untreated water. It is a very rare illness, with only around 1,000 cases being recorded worldwide. But even though it is rare, if contracted it can be fatal.

Fatality rates of the major types of botulism are as follows:

• Food-borne botulism--10%
• Infant botulism--1.3%
• Wound botulism--10%

References

• Mayo Clinic: Botulism
• Microbiology: A Systems Approach by Cowan and Smith
• Ministry of Health and Long Term Care: Botulism
• Center of Disease Control and Prevention: Botulism
• Medline Plus: Botox

Characteristics

Food Born

• The botulism toxin has been found in
• preserved vegetables with low acid content (beets, spinach, mushrooms, and green beans)
• canned tuna fish
• fermented, smoked, and salted fish
• meat products, such as ham and sausage

Modes of Transmission

• The main mode of transmission is by ingestion of the spores, or the production of an exotoxin in intestines, open wounds, or a babies' immature immune system

Infant

• Occurs when baby ingests bacteria that produces toxins in the body
• Most commonly comes from honey

Possible Causes

• Each type of botulism is caused by the production of an exotoxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum
• All forms cannot be transmitted from person to person
• The means in which this bacteria is found is different for each type of botulism

Wound

• Due to botulism spores entering an open wound

Virulence Factors

• Contains spores, which act like a protective covering and help the bacteria to survive in during harsh conditions
• Conditions where these spore can grow and cause the bacteria to be harmful are:
• Low-oxygen or no oxygen (anaerobic) environment
• Low acid
• Low sugar
• Low salt
• A certain temperature range
• A certain amount of water