CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
Presented by
Iniekem Effanga, Ph. D. Student
Walden University
Environmental Health (PUBH-8165 – 1)
Instructor: Dr. Raymond Thron
Winter Quarter, 2010
Learning Outcomes
• Increase knowledge base of foodborne
botulism in infants, young children, the
elderly, and the immunocompromised
• Help reduce the incidence of foodborne
illness caused by Clostridium
botulinum
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatho...
CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
Learning Objectives
Name of the Organism:
Clostridium botulinums
• An anaerobic, Gram-positive, sporeforming rod that produces a potent
neurotoxin
• The spores are heat-resistant and can
survive in foods that are incorrectly
processed
Natural Reservoirs
• C. botulinum and spores are
widespread in the environment
occurring predominantly in soils and
marine sediments (USDA, 2010).
• Found in sewage, aerosols, several
foods and dust
http://fsrio.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/fsrio/fsheet.php?id=233
C. Botulinum
Mode of Botulism
Transmission
• Contaminated foods
(particularly home-canned goods)
• Honey (ingestion)
• Dust and Aerosols
http://fsrio.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/fsrio/fsheet.php?id=233
Canned Foods
Home Canned Tomatoes
Nature of the Disease
Four types of botulinum is recognized
1. Foodborne botulinum
2. Infant botulinum
3. Wound botulinum
4. Undetermined botulinum
Foodborne Botulism
• The consumption of foods containing
the neurotoxin produced by C.
botulinum is the major cause of
foodborne botulinum disease
• Foodborne botulinum is a severe type
of food poisoning that can be fatal if
not treated immediately and properly
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatho...
Food Poisoning
Botulism Symptoms
• Symptoms usually appears 12-36 hours
after eating contaminated food
• In rare cases, symptoms may not
develop for several days
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/BotulismFoodborne_42031_0504...
Treatment with Botulism
Antitoxin
• Equine antitoxin
– Effective for treatment of wound botulism,
intestinal, and foodborne
– Available through CDC are the trivalent
and bivalent antitoxin
Botulism Infection Control
• Botulism is not transmitted from
person-to-person
• Foodborne botulism is not contagious
• Use universal precaution when taking
care of botulism patients
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/BotulismFoodborne_42031_0504...
Infant Botulism
• Affects infants under 12 months of age
• C. botulinum spores produces toxin in
the intestinal tracts of infants
• Soil, cistern water, dust and foods;
honey is a dietary reservoir of C.
botulinum
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatho...
Infant Botulism
• Infants with botulism presents with:
– Poor feeding
– Constipation
– Weak cry
– Poor muscle tone known as “floppy”
baby syndrome
Wound Botulism
• “The illness results when C. Botulinum
by itself or with other microorganisms
infest a wound and produces toxins
which reach other parts of the body via
the blood stream” (FDA, 2010).
• This is the rarest form of botulism
Undetermined Category of
botulism
• “This involves adults cases in which a
specified food or wound source cannot
be identified” (FDA, 2010).
• Might result in intestinal colonization in
adults, with in vivo production of toxin
(FDA, 2010).
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatho...
Detection methods
• Critical for early and accurate serotype
determination (USDA, 2010)
• Administration of an appropriate
antitoxin treatment
http://fsrio.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/fsrio/fsheet.php?id=233
Botulism Prevention
• All canned and preserved foods must
be properly processed and prepared
• Home canned foods should be boiled
for 10 minutes before eating
• Bulging containers should not be
opened
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/BotulismFoodborne_42031_0504...
References:
FDA. (2010). Bad Bug Book: Foodborne pathogen microorganisms and natural toxins
handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePatho...
Francisco, A. M. O., & Arnon, S. S. (2007). Clinical mimics of infant botulism. Journal of the
American Academy of Pediatrics, 119(4), 826-828. doi: 10.1542/peds.2006-0645
Jyotike, J. (2009). Toxinin a can: Eat drink better. Retrieved from
http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/11/toxin-in-a-can
Schneider, Parish, Goodrich, and Cookingham (2004). Preventing foodborne illness:
Clostridium botulinum. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
USDA. (2009). Pathogen and Contaminants: A focus on Clostridium botulism. Retrieved from
http://fsrio.nal.usda.gov/nal_web/fsrio/fsheet.php?id=233
References:
WDHS. (2010). Botulism foodborne fact sheet: Botulism, Foodborne. Retrieved from
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/factsheets/BotulismFoodborne_42031_0504...
WHO. (2010). Clostridium botulinum: International Programme on chemical safety poisons
information monograph 858 bacteria. Retrieved from www.who.int/en/
Yule, A. M., Barker, I. K., Austin, J. W., & Moccia, R. D. (2006). Toxicity of clostridium botulinum
type E neurotoxin to great lakes fish: Implications for avian botulism. Journal of Wildlife
Diseases, 42(3), 479-493.
Useful Resources
www.foodsafety.gov
www.fda.gov
www.cdc.gov
www.who.int
http://fsrio.nal.usda.gov
www.ncbi.nlm.gov
Appreciation
• Thank you for attending. I hope that
you have learned from this
presentation about the foodborne
illness/disease, and are better informed
about the causes and ways to prevent
Clostridium botulism
• Knowledge is power
Questions are welcomed
• Please feel free to ask any questions
regarding this presentation
• If you have concerns and/or need
clarification on the subject matter, I’ll
be glad to provide you with more
information