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Overview of a Pathogen: Clostridium botulinum
According to The Bad Bug Book of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the common bacterium Clostridium botulinum is an “anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming rod that produces a potent neurotoxin (108). Most individuals are probably best familiar with the spore as botulism. Botulism is a foodborne illness that has grown mercifully less common with the rise of canning and appropriate food sanitization measures, although it is still present in many countries and it still claims lives. The Bad Bug Book states that botulism’s early symptoms vary, depending on the particular case, but usually manifests within 18-36 hours (The Bad Bug Book, 108). Seven types of adult botulism are recognized; another form of botulism, known as infant botulism, is the result of colonization of the infant’s intestinal tract after ingestion (The Bad Bug Book, 108).
Symptoms can develop as early as 4 hours after consuming tainted food and as late as 8 days (The Bad Bug Book, 108). Symptoms can be severe, including “double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, swallowing problems, dry mouth, muscle weakness, constipation, and swollen abdomen” (The Bad Bug Book, 108). Although the rise...
The disease is fatal in an estimated 5-10% of all cases, even with treatment and only a few nanograms are needed to produce symptoms (The Bad Bug Book, 111).
The mechanism upon ingestion is as follows: “Botulinum toxin causes flaccid paralysis by blocking motor nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction” (The Bad Bug Book, 108). Paralysis spreads throughout the body, beginning with the higher extremities, and if left untreated, can cause paralysis of the chest muscles and asphyxiation (The Bad Bug Book, 108). The mechanism of paralysis is why unlike many other foodborne illnesses, botulism produces symptoms of constipation rather than diarrhea. This is also why the common cosmetic treatment Botox makes contained use of the toxin, to paralyze facial muscles and reduce the appearance of wrinkles (The Bad Bug Book, 108). All people, regardless of age, can manifest botulism, so long as they eat tainted foods. Foods very low in acid such as canned corn, green beans, tuna fish, and salted fish, are good examples of foods which can become easily contaminated as a…
Microbiology Microbes Microbial metabolism is referred to as the manner in which microbes find their nutrients and energy that makes them live and reproduce. The paper will describe metabolic requirement for Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium botulinum that provide them with environment that support their growth. The paper also summarizes mechanism of action by which drug inhibits the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus is as facultative anaerobic gram-positive cocci that is able
In this instance, what started out as a religious ceremony among villages went very wrong and could have caused deaths; hence, the authors' points are potentially helpful in the future when outbreaks like this occur. What are the Benefits of Botulinum Toxin? While it is widely known that there are dangers associated with botulinum toxin, and with botulism, Ashley Henshaw writes in Symptom Find that there are a "…variety of medical and
Pathogenic & Nonpathogenic Microorganisms have the capacity of causing severe disease if the conditions are ideal enough to sustain the life of these microbes. As more and more microbes are able to grow, the risk of disease development rises. Although all microorganisms have the capability of producing virulent effects, some are more able to do so than others. Pathogenic microorganisms are strong enough to fight off the natural defenses of the
organism produces botulinum toxin? Briefly describe this organism. Where did the name of the organism come from? Is the organism aerobic or anaerobic? Botulinum toxin is produced by the anaerobic, rod-shaped Clostridium botulinum which is gram positive. The name was taken from the Latin word for "sausage" (i.e., "sausage poisoning") in the early 19th century. How likely is it for a person to take dangerous/harmful levels of Botox? The author states
Prokaryotic & Eukaryotic Cells Cells can be divided into two categories: prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells are significantly smaller than eukaryotic cells. This size difference is due to the many contents inside a eukaryotic cell that prokaryotic cells do not have. To begin with, prokaryotic cells are always going to be unicellular, while eukaryotic cells can also be unicellular but are many times multicellular (Murray & Baron, 2007). Prokaryotic cells
Bio-Terrorism Hypothetical scenario Patients who were admitted in medical facilities complained of muscle paralysis. This was suspected to be the reason behind the blockage of the release of the acetylcholine. The patients also suffered from diplopia, blurred vision, dysphasia, and had dry mouths. Symmetrical descending muscle weakness was also registered in a number of patients who were admitted in different hospital facilities. This eventually led to loss of diaphragmatic functions and respiratory