By: Ellie McCarthy
AP Biology – Period 1&2
 Domain: Bacteria
 Kingdom: Bacteria
 Division: Firmicutes
 Class: Clostridia
 Order: Clostridiales
 Family: Clostridiaceae
 Genus: Clostridium
 Species: C. botulinum
 Binomial name:
Clostridium botulinum
 Gram positive
 Shape: rod (bacilli)
 Obligate anaerobe
(chemautotroph)
 Found in soil
 Form in colonies
 Motile
 Produces oval, subterminal
endospores
 Can survive in most
environments and are very
hard to kill
 Produces botulinum
neurotoxins types A-G
 Called botulin
 Extremely toxic
 Types A, B, E and F affect
humans
 Types C and D affect
animals
 Type G is unknown
Disease
Symptoms
 Causes the disease botulism
 Nausea
 Results from the ingestion of the
 Vomiting
neurotoxin (exotoxin) botulin
released by C. botulinum while
growing on food
 Endospores frequently found in
honey
 Neurotoxins are absorbed into
blood stream, affecting the nervous
system by preventing the release of
aceytlcholine
 Symptoms usually begin between 12
and 72 hours after ingestion
 Lasts from 1 to 10 days
 If not caught early and treated
properly, death results
 Fatigue
 Dizziness
 Double vision
 Drooping eyelids
 Slurred speech
 Difficulty swallowing
 Dryness of skin, mouth, and throat
 No fever
 Muscle weakness
 Flaccid paralysis
 Starts with eyes and face, then
progresses downward
 Eventual asphyxia (death)
Treatment
 Antibiotics ineffective,
antitoxins more effective
 Stop exotoxins in the
bloodstream from further
affecting the nervous system
 Supportive treatment in an
intensive care ward
 Ventilation may be needed in
cases of respiratory failure
 Recovery takes weeks because
nerve endings must rejuvenate
Types
 Food-borne botulism
 Most common
 Contamination of agricultural
products and seafood
 Under-processed canned foods or
can leakage
 Incorrectly home-canned foods
 Wound botulism
 Occurs when C. botulinum cells
affect an open wound
 Exotoxins travel to the bloodstream
and then affect the nervous system
 Infant botulism
 Rare
 Symptoms often take weeks to occur
 Presents with constipation, tiredness
and inability to feed, followed by
respiratory failure
 1895 – First recognized and isolated by Emile van Ermengem
 1928 – P. Tessemer Snipe and Hermann Sommer able to purify
the botulism toxin
 1960s – Alan Scott and Edward Schantz began experimenting
with botulism toxin type A (BTX-A) for therapeutic purposes
 Cosmetically – used in Botox and other cosmetic formulas to treat
frown lines and wrinkles
 Therapeutically – muscle pain disorders, upper motor neuron
syndrome, blepharospasm, strabismus and hemifacial spasm
 Ecolab. Clostridium botulinum . 30 September 2003. 2 February 2011




<http://www.ecolab.com/PublicHealth/Cbotulinum.asp>.
Maricopa Community College. "Chapter 13: Disease Transmission &
Pathogenesis." n.d. Biology. 2 February 2011
<http://www.pc.maricopa.edu/Biology/rcotter/BIO%20205/Less
onBuilders/Chapter%2013LB/Ch13LessonBuilder_print.html>.
Marler, Bill. "Clostridium botulinum." 23 November 2010. Botulism
Blog. 2 February 2011. <http://www.botulismblog.com/botulisminformation-1/clostridium-botulinum/>.
Schenectady County Community College. "Clostridium botulinum."
n.d. Education that Works. 2 February 2011
<http://www.sunysccc.edu/academic/mst/microbes/36cbotu.ht
m>.
Wikipedia. 2 February 2011. 2 February 2011
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_botulinum>.








Arsenault, Richard J. "Infant Botulism and Honey." 18 January 2010. NBA Food Advocate.
2
February 2011 <http://www.nbafoodadvocate.com/infant-botulinum-and-honey-2803>.
Cedar Crest College. "Clostridium botulinum." n.d. 2 February 2011
<http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/bio/hale/bioT_EID/lectures/botulinum.html>.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library. "File:Clostridium
botulinum 01.png." 23 February 2006. wikipedia.org. 2 February 2011
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clostridium_botulinum_01.png>.
Keith R. Schneider, Mickey E. Parish, and Renée M. Goodrich. "Clostridium botulinum." 29 October
2010. U. Ill. Food Safety. 2 February 2011
<http://www.extension.org/pages/Clostridium_botulinum>.
Lietz, Jessica. "Clostridium Botulinim Symptoms." 20 November 2009. ehow.com. 2 February 2011
<http://www.ehow.com/facts_5670419_clostridium-botulinim-symptoms.html>.
Maricopa Community College. Chapter 13: Disease Transmission & Pathogenesis. n.d. 2 February 2011
<http://www.pc.maricopa.edu/Biology/rcotter/BIO%20205/LessonBuilders/Chapter%2013LB
/Ch13LessonBuilder_print.html>.
Marler, Bill. Clostridium botulinum. 23 November 2010. 2 February 2011
<http://www.botulismblog.com/botulism-information-1/clostridium-botulinum/>.
Matthews, L. "Treating Whiplash with Botox." 17 November 2010. PainNeck.com. 2 February 2011
<http://www.painneck.com/blog/treating-whiplash-botox/>.








N.P.K. "Clostridium bolutinum Giant Microbe ." 2 January 2008. Giant Microbes. 2
February 2011 <http://www.giantmicrobes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6053>.
Schenectady County Community College. Clostridium botulinum. n.d. 2 February 2011
<http://www.sunysccc.edu/academic/mst/microbes/36cbotu.htm>.
Science Channel. "Top 10 Infectious Diseases." 2009 12 December. Science Discovery. 2
February 2011 <http://science.discovery.com/top-ten/2009/infectiousdiseases/infectious-diseases-08.html>.
Science Photo Library. "Clostridium botulinum bacteria." 1999. Science Photo Library. 2
February 2011
<http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/download_lo_res.html?id=662201272>.
Science Photo Library. "Clostridium botulinum bacteria." 1999. Science Photo Library. 2
February 2011
<http://www.sciencephoto.com/images/download_lo_res.html?id=662201273>.
Strandwitz, Phil. "Infant Botulism." 17 April 2008. Botulism. 2 February 2011
<http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/strandwi_phil/new_page_1.htm>.
Wikimedia Commons. "File:Botulism1and2.JPG." 27 October 2010. Wikimedia Commons.
2 February 2011 <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Botulism1and2.JPG>.
Wikipedia. Botulinum Toxin. 24 January 2011. 2 February 2011
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin>.