Clostridium butyricum, Cause

The botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) comprise a family of seven distinct neurotoxic proteins (A-G) produced by immunologically discrete strains of the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum and in rare cases by Clostridium baratii and Clostridium butyricum (Habermann and Dreyer, 1986 Harvey et ah, 2002 Simpson, 2004). These toxins act on peripheral cholinergic synapses to inhibit spontaneous and impulse-dependent release of acetylcholine (ACh) (Brooks, 1956 Kao et al., 1976). Intoxication by BoNT results in muscle weakness, which can be fatal when the diaphragm and intercostal muscles become sufficiently compromised to impair ventilation (Dickson and Shevky, 1923). The BoNTs are the most potent substances in nature, and exposure to as httle as 1-3 ng/kg may be sufficient to cause human lethahty (GUI, 1982 Middlebrook and Franz, 1997 Amon et al., 2001). 

Fenicia, L., Franciosa, G., Pourshaban, M., and Aureli, P. 1999. Intestinal toxemia botulism in two young people, caused by Clostridium butyricum type E. Clin. Infect. Dis. 29 1381-1387. 

Aureli P, Fenicia L, Pasolini B, Gionfranceschi M, McCroskey LM, Hathaway CL. Two cases of type E infant botulism in Italy caused by neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum. J Infect Dis. 1986 154 201-211. 

Aureli, R, Fenicia, L., Pasolini, B., Gianfranceschi, M., McCroskey, L.M., and Hatheway, C.L., 1986, Two cases of type E infant botulism caused by neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum in Italy, J. Infect. Dis. 154 201-206. 

The highly potent neurotoxins synthesized by the Clostridium botulinum microorganism and several related clostridial species (C. baratii, C. butyricum, and C. argenti-nense) are the causative agents of botulism, a potentially... 

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