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Toxins Jan 2020Intoxication with botulinum neurotoxin can occur through various routes. Foodborne botulism results after consumption of food in which botulinum neurotoxin-producing... (Review)
Review
Intoxication with botulinum neurotoxin can occur through various routes. Foodborne botulism results after consumption of food in which botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia (i.e., or strains of type E or type F) have replicated and produced botulinum neurotoxin. Infection of a wound with and in situ production of botulinum neurotoxin leads to wound botulism. Colonization of the intestine by neurotoxigenic clostridia, with consequent production of botulinum toxin in the intestine, leads to intestinal toxemia botulism. When this occurs in an infant, it is referred to as infant botulism, whereas in adults or children over 1 year of age, it is intestinal colonization botulism. Predisposing factors for intestinal colonization in children or adults include previous bowel or gastric surgery, anatomical bowel abnormalities, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, antimicrobial therapy, or foodborne botulism. Intestinal colonization botulism is confirmed by detection of botulinum toxin in serum and/or stool, or isolation of neurotoxigenic clostridia from the stool, without finding a toxic food. Shedding of neurotoxigenic clostridia in the stool may occur for a period of several weeks. Adult intestinal botulism occurs as isolated cases, and may go undiagnosed, contributing to the low reported incidence of this rare disease.
Topics: Adult; Botulism; Clostridium botulinum; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Toxemia
PubMed: 31991691
DOI: 10.3390/toxins12020081 -
Microorganisms Jan 2022strains are rare opportunistic pathogens associated with botulism intoxication. They have been isolated from foods, soil and be carried asymptomatically or cause...
strains are rare opportunistic pathogens associated with botulism intoxication. They have been isolated from foods, soil and be carried asymptomatically or cause botulism outbreaks. Is not taxonomically related to , but some strains are equipped with BoNT/F7 cluster. Despite their relationship with diseases, our knowledge regarding the genomic features and phylogenetic characteristics is limited. We analyzed the pangenome of to understand the diversity and genomic features of this species. We compared existing genomes in public databases, metagenomes, and one newly sequenced strain isolated from an asymptomatic subject. The pangenome was open, indicating it comprises genetically diverse organisms. The core genome contained 28.49% of the total genes of the pangenome. Profiling virulence factors confirmed the presence of phospholipase C in some strains, a toxin capable of disrupting eukaryotic cell membranes. Furthermore, the genomic analysis indicated significant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events as defined by the presence of prophage genomes. Seven strains were equipped with BoNT/F7 cluster. The active site was conserved in all strains, identifying a missing 7-aa region upstream of the active site in genomes. This analysis could be important to advance our knowledge regarding opportunistic clostridia and better understand their contribution to disease.
PubMed: 35208668
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020213 -
Toxins Dec 2019Botulism is a rare but severe neurological disease in man and animals that is caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by and atypical strains from other and... (Review)
Review
Botulism is a rare but severe neurological disease in man and animals that is caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by and atypical strains from other and non- species. BoNTs are divided into more than seven toxinotypes based on neutralization with specific corresponding antisera, and each toxinotype is subdivided into subtypes according to amino acid sequence variations. Animal species show variable sensitivity to the different BoNT toxinotypes. Thereby, naturally acquired animal botulism is mainly due to BoNT/C, D and the mosaic variants CD and DC, BoNT/CD being more prevalent in birds and BoNT/DC in cattle, whereas human botulism is more frequently in the types A, B and E, and to a lower extent, F. Botulism is not a contagious disease, since there is no direct transmission from diseased animals or man to a healthy subject. Botulism occurs via the environment, notably from food contaminated with spores and preserved in conditions favorable for growth and toxin production. The high prevalence of botulism types C, D and variants DC and CD in farmed and wild birds, and to a lower extent in cattle, raises the risk of transmission to human beings. However, human botulism is much rarer than animal botulism, and botulism types C and D are exceptional in humans. Only 15 cases or suspected cases of botulism type C and one outbreak of botulism type D have been reported in humans to date. In contrast, animal healthy carriers of group II, such as type E in fish of the northern hemisphere, and B4 in pigs, represent a more prevalent risk of botulism transmission to human subjects. Less common botulism types in animals but at risk of transmission to humans, can sporadically be observed, such as botulism type E in farmed chickens in France (1998-2002), botulism type B in cattle in The Netherlands (1977-1979), botulism types A and B in horses, or botulism type A in dairy cows (Egypt, 1976). In most cases, human and animal botulisms have distinct origins, and cross transmissions between animals and human beings are rather rare, accidental events. But, due to the severity of this disease, human and animal botulism requires a careful surveillance.
Topics: Animals; Botulism; Clostridium botulinum; Food Microbiology; Foodborne Diseases; Humans; Public Health; Zoonoses
PubMed: 31905908
DOI: 10.3390/toxins12010017 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Apr 2006Botulism is a potentially lethal paralytic disease caused by botulinum neurotoxin. Human pathogenic neurotoxins of types A, B, E, and F are produced by a diverse group... (Review)
Review
Botulism is a potentially lethal paralytic disease caused by botulinum neurotoxin. Human pathogenic neurotoxins of types A, B, E, and F are produced by a diverse group of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum groups I and II, Clostridium butyricum, and Clostridium baratii. The routine laboratory diagnostics of botulism is based on the detection of botulinum neurotoxin in the patient. Detection of toxin-producing clostridia in the patient and/or the vehicle confirms the diagnosis. The neurotoxin detection is based on the mouse lethality assay. Sensitive and rapid in vitro assays have been developed, but they have not yet been appropriately validated on clinical and food matrices. Culture methods for C. botulinum are poorly developed, and efficient isolation and identification tools are lacking. Molecular techniques targeted to the neurotoxin genes are ideal for the detection and identification of C. botulinum, but they do not detect biologically active neurotoxin and should not be used alone. Apart from rapid diagnosis, the laboratory diagnostics of botulism should aim at increasing our understanding of the epidemiology and prevention of the disease. Therefore, the toxin-producing organisms should be routinely isolated from the patient and the vehicle. The physiological group and genetic traits of the isolates should be determined.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Biological Assay; Botulinum Toxins; Botulism; Clostridium botulinum; Culture Media; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Genes, Bacterial; Humans; Infant; Mice; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Species Specificity
PubMed: 16614251
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.19.2.298-314.2006 -
PLoS Currents Feb 2017A second botulism outbreak due to Clostridium baratii occurred in France in August 2015 and included three patients who had their meal in a restaurant the same day. We...
INTRODUCTION
A second botulism outbreak due to Clostridium baratii occurred in France in August 2015 and included three patients who had their meal in a restaurant the same day. We report the characterization of C. baratii isolates including whole genome sequencing (WGS).
METHODS
Four C. baratii isolates collected in August 2015 from the outbreak 2 were analysed for toxin production and typing as well as for genetic characterization. WGS was done using using the NEBNext Ultra DNA Library Prep kit for Illumina (New England Biolabs) and sequenced on MiSeq machine (Illumina) in paired-end reads of 250 bases. The phylogenetic tree was generated based on the UPGMA method with genetic distances computed by using the Kimura two-parameter model. Evolutionary analyses were conducted in Bionumerics (V.6.6 Applied Maths).
RESULTS
Three C. baratii isolates for patient's stools and one isolate from meat produced botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type F and retained a bont/F7 gene in OrfX cluster. All isolates were identical according to the WGS. However, phylogeny of the core genome showed that the four C. baratii strains were distantly related to that of the previous C. baratii outbreak in France in 2014 and from the other C. baratii strains reported in databanks.
DISCUSSION
The fact that the strains isolated from the patients and meat samples were genetically identical supports that the meat used for the Bolognese sauce was responsible for this second botulism outbreak in France. These isolates were unrelated to that from the first C. baratii outbreak in France in 2014 indicating a distinct source of contamination. WGS provided robust determination of genetic relatedness and information regarding BoNT typing and toxin gene locus genomic localization.
PubMed: 29862134
DOI: 10.1371/currents.outbreaks.6ed2fe754b58a5c42d0c33d586ffc606 -
Epidemiology and Infection Sep 2013Botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disorder that can be potentially life-threatening. In Barcelona, Spain, no outbreaks had been reported in the past 25 years. However,...
Botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disorder that can be potentially life-threatening. In Barcelona, Spain, no outbreaks had been reported in the past 25 years. However, in September 2011, two outbreaks occurred involving two different families. A rare case of Clostridium baratii which produced a neurotoxin F outbreak was detected in five family members who had shared lunch, and several days before that another family was affected by C. botulinum toxin A which was probably present in homemade pâté.
Topics: Botulinum Toxins; Botulism; Clostridium; Disease Outbreaks; Family Health; Female; Humans; Male; Spain
PubMed: 23158693
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268812002592 -
FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology Jul 2012Sessile growth of anaerobic bacteria from the human intestinal tract has been poorly investigated, so far. We recently reported data on the close association existing...
Sessile growth of anaerobic bacteria from the human intestinal tract has been poorly investigated, so far. We recently reported data on the close association existing between biliary stent clogging and polymicrobial biofilm development in its lumen. By exploiting the explanted stents as a rich source of anaerobic bacterial strains belonging to the genera Bacteroides, Clostridium, Fusobacterium, Finegoldia, Prevotella, and Veillonella, the present study focused on their ability to adhere, to grow in sessile mode and to form in vitro mono- or dual-species biofilms. Experiments on dual-species biofilm formation were planned on the basis of the anaerobic strains isolated from each clogged biliary stent, by selecting those in which a couple of anaerobic strains belonging to different species contributed to the polymicrobial biofilm development. Then, strains were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy to reveal if they are able to grow as mono- and/or dual-species biofilms. As far as we know, this is the first report on the ability to adhere and form mono/dual-species biofilms exhibited by strains belonging to the species Bacteroides oralis, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium baratii, Clostridium fallax, Clostridium bifermentans, Finegoldia magna, and Fusobacterium necrophorum.
Topics: Bacteria, Anaerobic; Bacterial Adhesion; Biliary Tract; Biofilms; Coinfection; Humans; Stents
PubMed: 22444687
DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.2012.00962.x -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Dec 2022
Topics: Humans; Peritonitis; Clostridium; Liver Cirrhosis; Bacterial Infections
PubMed: 36264630
DOI: 10.37201/req/051.2022 -
PloS One 2014Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the most poisonous substances known and its eight toxin types (A to H) are distinguished by the inability of polyclonal antibodies that...
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the most poisonous substances known and its eight toxin types (A to H) are distinguished by the inability of polyclonal antibodies that neutralize one toxin type to neutralize any of the other seven toxin types. Infant botulism, an intestinal toxemia orphan disease, is the most common form of human botulism in the United States. It results from swallowed spores of Clostridium botulinum (or rarely, neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum or Clostridium baratii) that germinate and temporarily colonize the lumen of the large intestine, where, as vegetative cells, they produce botulinum toxin. Botulinum neurotoxin is encoded by the bont gene that is part of a toxin gene cluster that includes several accessory genes. We sequenced for the first time the complete botulinum neurotoxin gene cluster of nonproteolytic C. baratii type F7. Like the type E and the nonproteolytic type F6 botulinum toxin gene clusters, the C. baratii type F7 had an orfX toxin gene cluster that lacked the regulatory botR gene which is found in proteolytic C. botulinum strains and codes for an alternative σ factor. In the absence of botR, we identified a putative alternative regulatory gene located upstream of the C. baratii type F7 toxin gene cluster. This putative regulatory gene codes for a predicted σ factor that contains DNA-binding-domain homologues to the DNA-binding domains both of BotR and of other members of the TcdR-related group 5 of the σ70 family that are involved in the regulation of toxin gene expression in clostridia. We showed that this TcdR-related protein in association with RNA polymerase core enzyme specifically binds to the C. baratii type F7 botulinum toxin gene cluster promoters. This TcdR-related protein may therefore be involved in regulating the expression of the genes of the botulinum toxin gene cluster in neurotoxigenic C. baratii.
Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Base Sequence; Botulinum Toxins; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Sigma Factor
PubMed: 24853378
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097983 -
Genome Announcements Jul 2017and species have been known to produce botulinum toxin types E and F, respectively, which can cause botulism, a rare but serious neuroparalytic disease. Here, we...
and species have been known to produce botulinum toxin types E and F, respectively, which can cause botulism, a rare but serious neuroparalytic disease. Here, we present finished genome sequences for two of these clinically relevant strains.
PubMed: 28729254
DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00375-17