Botulinum neurotoxins antitoxin

Atassi MZ, Dohmbek BZ, Hayakari M, Middlebrook, Whitney B, Oshima M. Mapping of the antibody-binding regions on botulinum neurotoxin H-chain domain 855-1296 with antitoxin antibodies from three host species. J Protein Chem 1996 15 691-700. 

Data sources (1) Holzer E. Botulism caused by inhalation. Med Klin. 1962 41 1735-1740. (2) Franz DR, Pitt LM, Clayton MA, Hanes MA, Rose KJ. Efficacy of prophylactic and therapeutic administration of antitoxin for inhalation botulism. In Das Gupta B, ed. Botulinum and Tetanus Neurotoxins and Biomedical Aspects. New York, NY Plenum Press 1993 473-476. 

The toxin BoTx, produced by the anaerobe Clostridium botulinum, has the reputation of being the most toxic substance by weight known to humans, being at least 5000 times more toxic than sarin. Botulism is a disease of both humans and animals. Seven dilferent functionally related neurotoxins are produced by various strains (A-G). Botulism is essentially an intoxication, brought on by ingestion of the toxin produced by clostridial infection of food, usually incorrectly canned meats. Primary botulism, a direct infection, is rare and only affects infants in the human species. Botulinum intoxication can, however, be treated, and this modifies the toxicity considerably. It is estimated that less than 10 % of natural cases receiving ventilatory and antitoxin support are fatal. 

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