Botulism : A Social Aspect Of A Disease

Botulism is a rare but very serious paralytic illness that is caused by botulinum toxin(potentially deadly neurotoxin) which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The botulinum toxin can enter the body in 3 main ways: by the ingestion of the toxin from eating foods that contain the botulism toxin (food borne botulism), by the contamination of a wound by the bacterium in which the toxin is produced (wound botulism) and Infant botulism which is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release the toxin. The powerful exotoxin (botulinum toxin) leads to secretory diarrhea. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are therefore considered to be

By the 19th century, Tuberculosis or “consumption,” also known as “The Forgotten Plague,” had killed nearly one in seven of all the persons who had ever lived in America. This “plague” affected nearly everyone who lived in America, whether it was their father, mother, sister, or brother. It affected women, men, and even children. These victims suffered from bloody hacking coughing, unbearable pain, and fatigue. At this time, no one knew what caused it and how to cure it. Many believed the sickness was passed on hereditarily and that only certain people would stem this illness depending upon their genes. Little did they know, that this infectious disease was spread through coughing and close contact with people who had “consumption”. The role “consumption” played in affecting American History is very important for the fact that it helped with developments in better health laws, better social habits, and better medicine and treatments for sickness.

A) Emerging Infectious Diseases reported an example of a real life outbreak of community-acquired foodborne illness caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in January 2002, from the Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. A family purchased a dinner of shredded barbeque pork and coleslaw from a convenience and delicatessen market. The pork was reheated in the home microwave, and three adults ate the food after it was bought. Three to four hours after eating the meal, the three adults who had not eaten another common meal together in the preceding week had nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. The two children who did not eat the food did not become sick. Two of the three adults were hospitalized for evaluation, and then they were treated and released.

The first strain mentions is the most common type which is foodborne botulism, food borne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulinum toxin; the most frequent source being home-canned foods prepared in an unsafe manner (CDC, 2016). The next type of botulism is wound botulism which is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Injection drugs users are at increased risk for wound botulism. The third type of botulism is infant botulism caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin (CDC, 2016). Bacteria from the spores can grow and multiply in a baby's intestines, producing a dangerous toxin. The condition can occur in infants up to age 12

Clostridium perfringens is known to be one of the most spread foodborne pathogen in the world, generally referred to as the "food service bug.” There are two types of food poisoning, identified as, type A and type C. Type A is the most common human disease, which is caused by a bacterial disease that discharge alpha-toxins in uncooked or improper handled of meat. This type of food poisoning, although usually mild, can have some devastating outcomes to any individuals’ health. The side effects of bacterial contamination can go from swelling, stomach discomfort, gas gangrene infection and even cause death. The injuries caused by gas gangrene known as “Clostridial myonecrosis,” that multiplies throughout the surface of the skin as the gases are released from its alpha-toxins, in which the bacterium's aging process of digestion results in immediate tissue

The bacterium is largely spread in nature and be present in soil, water and contaminated foods. Animals and fresh produce are prone to contamination in foul environment. How this affected Enterprise Food, is the factory workers were in the presence of the bacterium while they were producing the perishable, and from the above research listeriosis shows that it has the ability to affect the working environment through oxygen ‘inhaling’, and through quality checks when the quality in spectator test the product as for quality protocol by tasting the perishable meat. Infection of the bacterium can cause in mild to severe febrile gastroenteritis and in pregnant women, the bacterium can cause pregnancy loss. (National institute for communicable

It is found in soil and on vegetables. It is also found in corn syrup, honey, damaged canned goods, and improperly canned meats. Children under the age of one should never eat corn syrup or honey for this reason and vegetables should be cleaned and cooked at the proper temperature to ensure the bacteria is unable to do harm. When preparing foods for canning make sure jars are cleaned and sealed properly using either the boiling water method or preferably the pressure cooking method. Botulism cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted; however, when it breaks down proteins it releases a foul odor. If present in canned goods the can will have a bulging appearance. Another way for botulism to enter the body is thru an open wound. Entry from wounds occurs when an open wound is exposed to botulism either by soil or other surfaces that contain botulism spores

3 Botulism is a serious and potentially fatal disease. Nonetheless, it is relatively rare. It is an intoxication usually caused by ingestion of potent neurotoxins in contaminated foods. It is not contagious. Clostridium botulinum produces spores that are heat-resistant and exist widely in the environment, and in the absence of oxygen they germinate, grow and then excrete toxins. Botulinum toxins are ingested through improperly processed food in which the bacteria or the spores survive and produce the toxins. Though mainly a food borne intoxication, botulism can also be caused by intestinal infection in infants, wound infections, and by inhalation.

The infected person may also be required to use a breathing machine. It is particularly important in instances when the muscles necessary for breathing are weakened. If botulism emergency is noted in an area, the department of the public health is expected to assess the situation. They will recommend the measures that the affected population can avoid infection. It is critical to render the medical services to the patients and find ways of minimizing the sources of the

The question comes up a lot how has botulism affected humankind throughout history? The answer to this is quite commonly found all you have to do is look at today's modern medicine. Today we have a cure but we didn’t always people died a lot from this and as a result we has to adapt and learn.

Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin between 12 and 36 hours after the toxin gets into your body. But, the start of symptoms can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism include:

Botulism is poisoning by a toxin. It is produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This germ is commonly found in soil. It is from the same group of bacteria that causes tetanus. Botulism is a rare, but serious illness, which causes paralysis. When this happens, you cannot move your arms or legs.

Botulism is actually a serious as well as life threatening neurological disorder. The bacteria which is responsible for this disease is known as Clostridium botulinum. Being a bacterial disorder it may cause potentially life threatening neurological paralysis due to the severe effect of the neurotoxins produced by the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. Though this is disease exist rare, but there are several causes which are responsible for the outbreak of this disease. The spore of the bacteria which affect any human by causing this disease may easily enter to human body by wounds or improperly preserved or canned foods.

Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter) to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." Pathogens grow especially fast between 70°F and 125°F.

Clostridium botulinum produces toxin called Botulism neurotoxin (BoNTs) which is responsible for botulism. There are seven serotypes BoNTs of which only A, B and E are responsible for human botulism. These toxins bind to presynaptic nerve terminal of neuromuscular junction thus disrupting cellular communication resulting in muscular weakness and paralysis. Various ways were discovered for treating botulism which involve producing murine monoclonal antibodies against BoNTs. But if such antibodies are injected into human beings such antibodies would be detected as foreign entities and antibodies would be produced against monoclonal antibodies. The drawbacks of use monoclonal antibodies lead to development of antigen specific antibodies.