Botulism is an acute neurologic disorder that causes potentially life-threatening neuroparalysis due to a neurotoxin produced by clostridium botulinum (Chan-Tack, 2015 para. 1). Foodborne botulism is one of the many ways in which botulism is presented. Out of the 154 cases of botulism that are reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 are related to foodborne botulism (Chan-Tack, 2015 para. 19). In an effort to weigh in on the causes and effects of foodborne botulism, scholarly research will be conducted on academic journals and reputable sources. This research will provide an overview on foodborne botulism as well as some precaution and treatment measures.
Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic gram-positive rod
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Once ingested, the botulinum toxin will prevent the release of acetylcholine from cholinergic neuron synapses, thus causing muscle and nerve paralysis (Lancaster, 1990). The incubation period for foodborne botulism is typically 12-72 hours. Classic signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism include cranial nerve paralysis, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, dysphagia, respiratory muscle weakness, and dry mouth unrelieved by drinking fluids. The progression of botulism includes the following: changes in deep tendon reflexes, incoordination due to muscle weakness, absence of pathologic reflexes and normal findings on sensory and gait examinations, paralytic ileus advancing to severe constipation, gastric dilatation, and bladder distention advancing to urinary retention (Chan-Tack, 2015 para. 6). Paralytic symptoms may cause serious complications with breathing, leading to aspiration and even death. Because the signs and symptoms of botulism often mimic those of other diseases and disorders, it is not uncommon for there to be a delay in the diagnosis (Shapiro & Swerdlow, …show more content…
Because the botulinum toxin causes respiratory failure and paralysis, ventilators (breathing machines) may be used to assist with breathing. “Meticulous airway management is paramount, as respiratory failure is the most important threat to survival in patients with botulism” (Chan-Tack, 2015 para. 11). Patients may also receive a tracheostomy to assist with the removal of secretions along with a Foley catheter to assist with incontinence. Whole bowel irrigation can also be used in order to purge out the botulin toxin. “Dr. Zamani pointed out the role of the whole bowel irrigation (WBI) with polyethylene glycol as an appropriate adjunctive option of gastrointestinal decontamination in severe botulism poisoning” (Lonati, et al.,
Clostridium difficile, otherwise known as C. diff, is a species of spore-forming, anaerobic, gram-positive bacteria that is known to cause watery diarrhea. 1 The genus name, Clostridium refers to the spindle shape of the organism while Difficile means difficult in Latin due to the fact that this organism thrives in unfavorable conditions and is very difficult to isolate.4 The incidence of getting CDI has increased over the years due to new strains of increased toxin production of the bacteria and increased resistance to antibiotics.2 It is a gastrointestinal infection, and the most common cause of infectious diarrhea.1 C. difficile was first identified in the feces of healthy newborns back in the 1930’s and by 1935, it was considered normal flora. 2 During 1974, researchers conducted that about 21% of patients that were treated with an antibiotic called clindamyacin reported diarrhea and about 10% of them reported to have conducted pseudomembranous colitis as a side effect of this treatment. 2 It was in 1978 where C. diff had been known to cause anti-biotic associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. 2 It is known to form spores that resist many disinfectants; it also survives for several months on different surfaces.1 It is a common form of a nosocomial infection and the prevalence of becoming infected with C. diff is about 0-15% in a health care setting. 3 The spores survive well in environments such as soil, water and animals and is distributed worldwide. 4 CDI produces two toxins (Toxin A and B), which are cytotoxic and cause tissue necrosis.4
Listeria is a type of bacterium that infects humans and other warm blooded animals through contaminated food. (Dictionary.com, 2016) In other words, it is food poisoning
Botulism is a neuroparalytic disorder characterized by the appearance of a descending flaccid paralysis produced by Clostridium botulinum toxin. The causal agent of this disease is a gram-positive anaerobic bacillus survives in soil and marine sediments through the formation of vegetative spores. Clostridium botulinum spores germinate favored by certain environmental conditions. The bacillus, during growth and autolysis releases a potent neurotoxin responsible for the symptoms of the disease. There are 7 types of toxin designated A through G. The toxin is absorbed from the intestinal tract and into systemic circulation to reach neuromuscular endings. At this level it binds to receptors on nerve endings
Infection with C. perfringens as a food-borne illness is acquired from consumption of food or water that has come in contact with the bacterium. Some possibilities include unwashed fruits and vegetables, undercooked me...
The disease, botulism, which is caused by Clostridium botulinium, is an emerging infectious disease. Clostridium botulinium is a bacterium that produces a neurotoxin that causes botulism. The bacterium is spore-forming, and anaerobic, meaning it does not need oxygen to grow. There are three main types of illnesses that Clostridium botulinium typically cause: Food-borne botulism, infant botulism, and wound botulism. Unbeknownst to common knowledge, infant botulism is the most common form of the disease, consisting of seventy-five percent of the reported cases of the disease (Chan-Tack, & Bartlett, 2010).
While there are various forms of botulism, infant botulism is the most common. Infant botulism occurs usually between the ages of 2-6 months (Bauman & Masuoka, 2009).The Clostridium bacteria attacks the intestinal tract of the infant and the bacteria produces spores, therefore these spores is what causes the infant to experience constipation. Sometimes infants may also experien...
Botulism is a rare but very serious paralytic illness that is caused by the botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum is a gram positive, anaerobic, spore forming bacterium that is naturally occurring in soil. Botulism dates back to the eighteenth century when the first food borne botulism was documented. During this time many people were doing home fermented sausages and this was thought to be the cause of botulism. This is how the toxin got its name since “Botulism” in Latin comes from “botulus” which means sausage. E. van Ermengen was the first to discover the microbe in 1897 after there was a food borne outbreak in Ellezelles, Belgium. To date there are six forms of botulism but only two forms were known until the twentieth century which were food borne and wound botulism. The first type of botulism is food borne which is a result of ingesting food that contains the pre-form toxin. Some foods that this typically occurs in are home canned vegetables, cured pork and ham and smoked or raw fish. Wound botulism is the result of C. botulinum spores growing in a contaminated wound with in vivo production. Most people that get wound botulism usually have deep and contained avascular areas and many people also had compound fractures. Wound botulism is on the rise in the U.S. because of the use of illicit drugs, “the majority were linked to injectable drug use, particularly with so-called ‘black tar heroin’ and others with nasal or sinus lesions due to chronic cocaine sniffing.” (CDC website) Another form of botulism is infant botulism. This is caused from the endogenous production of toxin germinating spores of C. botulinum in the intestines of the infants. Also feeding an infant...
At first, the victim will feel a burning or tingling sensation on their lips, tongue, and in their limbs. This is then followed by sweating, headaches, weakness, lethargy, incoordination, tremors, paralysis, cyanosis, aphonia, dysphasia, and seizures. Later the victim will experience severe gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. As the poison sits in the body, the victim will experience respiratory issues and will have trouble breathing and speaking. They will experience a lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a lower pulse, and heart rate. The victim will most-likely become completely paralyzed but usually remains conscious and lucid for 4 to 6 hours; although, some victims will end up in a
With the continuous advancements in biomedicine follows a continuous proliferation of bioterrorism, which uses biological agents for malicious purposes (Anderson 2). More specifically, bioterrorism is a method of terrorism that intentionally releases or disseminates biological weapons that may be in natural occurring or human-modified form (Botulism- Definition). Although bioterrorism is considered as a recent dilemma, the use of biological weapon predates recorded history, during the ancient times where biological toxins were extracted from plants and animals and ap...
Diseases: The most common health concern associated with S. aureus is food poisoning caused by the release of enterotoxins, even in small doses, into food. Release of less than 1 microgram of toxin is sufficient to contaminate food enough to illicit symptoms of food poisoning. The infective dose of toxin is generally present when food is contaminated with an excess of 100,000 bacteria per gram of food. The intensity and variety of symptoms resulting from S. aureus food poisoning differ from individual to individual, but some of the most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and prostration (complete physical or mental exhaustion). It usually takes 2 or 3 days to recover from S. aureus food poisoning, but in some instances individuals will require more time to fully recover.
Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria ) from an essay by Katrina Tram Duong, edited by S.N. Carson M.D.
“Salmonella Food Poisoning .” Health A to Z. 14 Aug. 2006. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 19 July 2008 .
Eric Schlosser of “Fast Food Nation” exploits the negative changes it causes. In “Fast Food Nation” Eric Schlosser takes parts to talk about how fast food changed the way animal were raised in order to meet demands from the people. He exploited larger proportion of fast food is made from sub-standard meats, which are taken from low quality animals. In short, the meat is not from one common placed, but rather from a host of parts that are pounded together to make a whole burger. To which a single disease like E.coli can spread to multiple meat products. “E. coli 0157:H7 is a mutated version of a bacterium found abundantly in the human digestive system. Most E. coli bacteria help us digest food, synthesize vitamins, and guard against dangerous organisms. E. coli 0157:H7, on the other hand, can release a powerful toxin- called a "Vero toxin" or a "Shiga toxin"-that attacks the lining of the intestine….A single animal infected with E. coli 0157:H7 can contaminate 32,000 pounds of that ground beef” (Schlosser). The likelihood of disease spread is very high since the meat is taken from different animals. In chapter 9 of the book, he provides a case in which ground meat was recalled after E. coli was identified. The worst part of that, was that 25 million pounds of the meat had been consumed. He also warns that with fast foods, the possibility of nationwide food
The safety of meat and poultry is a topic that has been debated for a number of years. Contamination is especially a concern when raising cattle and turkey for food. A recent article from DiGregorio (2013) highlights a debate over the safety of ground turkey sold in U.S. supermarkets. According to the Consumer’s Union in the article, a large percentage of ground turkey was found to be contaminated with fecal-associated bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, along with other types of pathogens, such as Salmonella and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (DiGregorio 2013).
So, what is Botox? Botox is the market name for type A botulinum toxin which is a purified form of the toxin produced by the bacteria, clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is commonly associated with food poisoning and is lethal in large doses. The botulism toxin could paralyze vital muscles needed for breathing. Although related to botulism food poisoning, the amounts of Botox given are so minimal and localized, that the toxin will not spread to any other muscles in the body, thus making it a safe and harmless procedure. When used cosmetically, tiny amo...