Botulism

News has come in today that we are on the verge of a Botulism epidemic. Botulism is a very serious illness that can result in death if not treated properly or quick enough. It is cause by a soil dwelling bacterium call Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium, while normally killed during the process of cooking, can grow spores (WHO, 1999). Spores are formed when the bacteria are inhabiting an undesirable place. The bacteria typically grow comfortably in temperatures between 35-37 degrees Celsius, which is around body temperature (Merialdi et al., 2016). Due to the desired temperature for growth, if a bacterium gets into the human body it can flourish. However, they do require a lower pH than that of the human body so that is in our favor (Merialdi et al., 2016).…

botulinum is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium that causes the illness, in humans known as botulism (Smith and Sugiyama, 1988). It produces a potent neurotoxin called botulinum toxin that causes botulism or foodborne botulism. The spores are heat resistant and can survive in foods that are incorrectly or poorly processed (FDA). There are seven recognized types of botulism (A-G) but only A, B, E, and F cause human botulism (FDA). The first case of foodborne botulism was in…

be removed. The hot jars are then placed on the counter to fully cool down. Even though processing may take only 20 minutes with a pressure canner, the wait to start another batch can be over an hour, due to waiting for the lid to release. Water bathing can only be used for acidic foods, where as pressure canning can be used for any type of food. A water bath method only heats to boiling and if a food item is not acidic enough, botulism spores can survive. Thus, fruits and tomatoes are…

County fell seriously ill. Their symptoms included dry mouth, blurred vision, trouble breathing, nausea, and paralysis. From symptoms and specimens, medical staff diagnosed them with food-borne botulism, a rare but potentially life-threatening, paralytic illness that is a public health emergency because it originates from contaminated food that hundreds of people might have consumes. An investigation by Salt Lake Valley Heath Department, the Utah Department of Health, and the CDC identified…

Banish Your Crow's Feet Wrinkles With Botox Injections One of the first places you may notice facial wrinkles is around your eyes. Crow's feet appear on the outside of the eyes because the skin is constantly folding when the muscles in that area contract when you squint, laugh, or smile. Crow's feet can develop at a fairly young age and they tend to get worse over time. Botox can reduce the appearance of these wrinkles and make you happier with your appearance. Here's how it can help. Botox…

Clostridium Botulinum Clostridium Botulinum is a single celled bacteria and has organelles, not bounded by a membrane. They are asexual and reproduce by binary fission. It belongs to Kingdom Bacteria because it has peptidoglycan in its cell wall. It is unicellular and lack nucleus. It is obligate anaerobe as well as have ability to produce by spore so it falls under Phylum Firmicutes. It is classified in class Clostridia and further in order Clostridiales due to its spore forming ability. It is…

protective membrane and the hard coating help protect the dormant of the bacterium for years. C. botulinum is responsible for a disease called botulism. Botulism is a rare but serious illness which occurs in the soil. It produces a toxin that affects your nerves. Foodborne botulism comes from eating foods contaminated with the toxin. This neurotoxin is among the most toxic substance known, even the smallest…

I still remember the day when I called my Aunt to inquire about my Cousin Sanjay. My Aunt replied that they had taken him to an Exorcist in Majitha, a village in the outskirts of Amritsar. Why? Because he was possessed by evil spirits. Sanjay had that what I believe to have a seizure. That made me bewildered. What does a seizure has to do with holy man. I was in the first year of medical school and this incident triggered my interest in Medicine and Neurology in particular. The field of…

Cosmetic Use of Botulinum Toxin Type A Introduction Botulinum toxin was first identified as a cause of food poisoning over 100 years ago (Carruthers and Carruthers, 2009). Since then, there has been an identification of seven different serotypes labeled A-G; all produced by different strains of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum (Hurkadle et al., 2012). Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is the main and most well-studied serotype that is used in cosmetic (Hurkadle et al., 2012). The BTX-A can be…

What Exactly Is Botox? Botox is a type of prescription medication that is injected into the facial muscles in order to reduce wrinkles. Botox often has dramatic effects. In fact, it can take years off of a person's appearance. Botox is approved for patients between the ages of 18 and 65. Botox has been approved for cosmetic use in over 78 countries. It is estimated that 10.9 million people in the United States have received Botox ever since it was first approved. Are There Any Side Effects?…