Botulism characteristics

Spores may be transferred from soil and plants to the sea via rainwater, causing the prevalence in coastal waters of the same C. botulinum types as on the land. Such a correlation was observed in Great Britain, where the type B predominates both in soil and in bottom sediments. Similarly, 71% of fish and bottom-sediment samples collected in southern France were contaminated with type B, while C. botulinum type E was found only in 9.6% of samples (Each et al., 2002). However, it is commonly believed that non-proteolytic type E is characteristic for the marine environment. A distinguishing feature of type E strains is the ability to grow in low temperatures (about 3°C), which are typical for bottom layers of seas and oceans. Moreover, the bottom sediments provide anaerobic conditions for the outgrowth of Clostridium. Therefore, the marine environment promotes C. botulinum type E distribution. This has been further supported by the rate of fish and seafood contamination fish and seafood isolated in many countries are most frequently contaminated with C. botulinum type E (Dodds, 1993 a,b). Furthermore, epidemiological studies have shown that the majority of botulism cases linked to fish and seafood consumption reported between 1950 and 1996 in the U.S. were caused by C. botulinum type E (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1998). C. botulinum type F,... 

The data about fields of application of Silics in clinics for treatment for infectious diseases are presented in Table 4. From Table 4 it is evident that the field of application of Silics is rather large and covers both intestinal infections and toxicoses which victimize infants, as well as viral hepatitis, and botulism. It is appropriate to mention here that inclusion of Silics into the complex treatment of patients suffering from salmonellosis, dysentery, and intestinal toxicoses accelerates normalization of clinic manifestations of these diseases by a factor of two and more. In the case of botulism the normalization of symptoms characteristic of lesions of the nervous system is shortened by almost 4 days. If intestinal infections are not severe, Silics can be recommended as a single therapeutic agent. In the case of a considerable diarrheal syndrome it is more expedient to use it together with rehydration substances. Inclusion of Silics into a complex of therapeutic agents for patients suffering from viral hepatitis substantially accelerates recovery rates of patients, so that their normal level of bilirubin and activity of alanine aminotranspherase are recovered within shorter periods of time. 

In foodborne botulism, complaints of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may accompany the initial neurologic symptoms. In later stages of the disease, constipation becomes more prominent. In infantile botulism, constipation is often the main symptom, along with characteristic flaccidity (the floppy baby ), poor suck reflex, poor feeding, and poor head control. 

A. Characteristics. Botulism is caused by intoxication with any of the seven distinct neurotoxins produced by the bacillus Clostridium botulinum. The toxins are proteins that bind to the presynaptic membrane of neurons at peripheral cholinergic synapses to prevent release of acetylcholine and block neurotransmi ssion. 

Food-borne botulism (due to C botulinum) may lead to a symmetric descending paralysis that results in respiratory failure. Patients are initially alert but may suffer from dysarthria and dysphagia. Ptosis and ophthalmoplegia are also characteristic symptoms. The answer is (D). Digoxin is lethal at levels much too low to be detected by the osmolar gap method. This method is useful only for poisonings with low-potency substances of low molecular weight, eg, methanol and ethylene glycol. The answer is (A). 

The characteristic symptoms of infant botulism are poor sucking, constipation, generalized weakness, floppy appearance, and respiratory insufficiency (Cox and Hinkle, 2002). Infant botulism may quickly progress to respiratory failure if not treated. The development of the intestinal flora has been demonstrated to suppress the germination and growth of Clostridium botulinum spores in mice (Sugiyama and Mills, 1978). Ingestion of honey by infants is the classic scenario cited in infant botulism therefore, honey is not recommended in this susceptible population (Amon, 1998). 

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