Botulism: Difference between revisions
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===Description=== | ===Description=== | ||
<i> Clostridium botulinum </i> is the bacteria that is responsible for Botulsim. It is a gram positive, rod shaped bacterium that is strictly anaerobic and produces neurotoxins that paralyze host muscular junctions. There are 7 types of toxins, A-G, but only 4 of these, A,B,E,F, have been known to cause disease in humans. The most common toxins in the United States are A,B and E. Throughout the world, toxin A is most prevalent. All toxins are encoded in the bacterial chromosome except type G which is thought to be plasmid encoded. <i> C. Botulinum </i> is only able to produce its toxin during sporulation. The endospores can lie dormant for several years in contaminated foods but will become active once the environmental conditions are favorable. Since the bacteria are obligate anaerobes there should be minimal oxygen present and the pH should be low in the range of 4.8-7. Due to its specific living conditions, it is difficult to grow in the lab. A media culture of tryptose sulfite cycloserine growth media is used the lab setting and there is <2% oxygen in its surrounding area. The bacteria is unable to use lactose as a source of carbon which is a critical biochemical identification when differentiating the organism from other species. | |||
==Pathogenesis== | ==Pathogenesis== | ||
===Transmission=== | ===Transmission=== | ||
Revision as of 08:30, 23 July 2013
Etiology/Bacteriology
Taxonomy
Domain- Bacteria
Class- Clostridia
Order Clostridiales
Family-Clostridiaceae
Genus- Clostridium
Species C. botulinum
Description
Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that is responsible for Botulsim. It is a gram positive, rod shaped bacterium that is strictly anaerobic and produces neurotoxins that paralyze host muscular junctions. There are 7 types of toxins, A-G, but only 4 of these, A,B,E,F, have been known to cause disease in humans. The most common toxins in the United States are A,B and E. Throughout the world, toxin A is most prevalent. All toxins are encoded in the bacterial chromosome except type G which is thought to be plasmid encoded. C. Botulinum is only able to produce its toxin during sporulation. The endospores can lie dormant for several years in contaminated foods but will become active once the environmental conditions are favorable. Since the bacteria are obligate anaerobes there should be minimal oxygen present and the pH should be low in the range of 4.8-7. Due to its specific living conditions, it is difficult to grow in the lab. A media culture of tryptose sulfite cycloserine growth media is used the lab setting and there is <2% oxygen in its surrounding area. The bacteria is unable to use lactose as a source of carbon which is a critical biochemical identification when differentiating the organism from other species.
Pathogenesis
Transmission
Infectious dose, incubation, and colonization
Epidemiology
Virulence factors
Clinical features
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Host Immune Response
References
1 Conway, Tyrrell. “Genus conway”. “Microbe Wiki” 2013. Volume 1. p. 1-2.
Created by {Naomi Quillin}, student of Tyrrell Conway at the University of Oklahoma.
