The brand name of Botulin (the toxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum) is Botox. Everyone knows that this
bacterium is wonderful because it helps make wrinkles disappear. All you have to do is inject a tiny, tiny amount into
a face muscle and wa la - the wrinkles will be gone in just a few days! The temporary paralysis of muscles makes
the face look younger and smoother for 4 to 6 months. This amazing change in appearance happens because the
Botox stops nerve cells from communicating and destroys the neurotransmitter controlling protein. The best part is
that the only pain felt is a little prick, so anesthesia doesn’t have to be used. Risks of using Botox aren’t high either
because barely any is injected into the person. The only thing they may experience is a small headache or bruising,
but hey, isn’t that worth it to look beautiful?
Wanted Poster:
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5465346_clostridium-botulinum-spread.html
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/strandwi_phil/
http://www.defendingfoodsafety.com/food-safety-law/common-food-borne-pathogens/clostridium-botulinum/
http://www.defendingfoodsafety.com/2008/12/food-safety-law/common-food-borne-pathogens/incubation-periods-and-symptoms/
http://foodsafety.psu.edu/jar_bread_files/cbot.jpg
http://www.noraxx.ca/bacteria.php
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/foodborneillness/foodborneillnessfoodbornepathogensnaturaltoxins/badbugbook/ucm070000.htm
http://www.dmacc.edu/instructors/scottie.ht
http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/Infectious%20Disease/wound%20botulism.jpg
Good Citizen:
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/strandwi_phil/botox.htm
http://urbanretreat.com/default.aspx?menuitemid=220&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
What: Clostridium Botulinum is a rod shaped bacteria that makes the
neurotoxin Botulin. If ingested, it causes the muscle paralyzing disease
Botulism. The bacterium is also the main agent in Botox.
Found: It is found in environments with little oxygen and low acidity
(soil and water environments), food produced in soil (vegetables and
fruits), and improperly preserved foods (home canning, curing, or
fermentation).
Transmission: There are three types of Botulism - Infant, Foodborne, and Wound. Infant Botulism happens when the spores from C.
Botulinum are ingested or breathed into an infant’s digestive tract.
When there, they grow and produce the disease causing toxin. FoodBorne Botulism results from eating food that contains the neurotoxin.
Wound Botulism is caused when the bacteria infects a wound and
produces the toxins inside of it. The toxins get into the bloodstream
and spread rapidly through-out the body.
Victims: Botulism can attack animals and humans, but it mostly
attacks infants who are under the age of one because their immune
systems aren’t as strong as older people’s. First, it will destroy the
baby’s digestive system and then work its way through the nerves.
With Food-Borne Botulism, it starts in the face and eyes, and then
moves down both sides of the body.
Symptoms: If you catch this disease you may experience nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, dry mouth, double vision,
muscle paralysis, or respiratory failure. These symptoms can last
for just a few days or a couple months depending on the amount of
spores ingested.
Degree of Damage: Most cases of Botulism aren’t that fatal. I say this
because there are normally 10 to 30 outbreaks in the US each year and
most aren’t diagnosed since symptoms are so mild. Plus, with modern
technology and medicine, death rates from the first half of the century
have dropped from 50% to 10%. If you know you have the disease though
and don’t treat it, then it can be deadly. It has been proven that death
occurs in 70% of untreated cases. This is because the toxin will work its
way through your body and stop your respiratory system from working.
Treatment: If you catch any form of Botulism the best thing to do is get
medical attention IMMEDIATLY! A simple laboratory test can detect the
presence of the Botulinum toxin. In cases of severe Botulism where the
respiratory system fails and paralysis occurs, a patient may be put on a
breathing machine for weeks, plus receive intensive medical and nursing
care. Hopefully the paralysis will slowly improve after several weeks.
Food-borne Botulism can be treated with an antitoxin which blocks the
action of the toxin circulating in the blood, but this is only if it is diagnosed
early. Though this medicine can prevent patients from deterioration, full
recovery may take a while. Physicians may also try to remove infected
food still in the gut by inducing vomiting.
Facts: 1) The Botulinum toxin is the most poisonous natural
substance known to man; 1/10,000,000 mg per kg of body weight is the
lethal dose.
2) In little as 4 hours the Toxin Botulin can cause respiratory failure,
paralysis, and death.
3) A cup of the toxin in its pure form is enough to kill all of Earth’s
population.
4) The toxin can be destroyed if heated at 176°F for 10 minutes or
longer.
5) Honey is the main cause of Infant Botulism because people under the
age of one can’t fight the C. Botulinum in it.