Concept explainers
Introduction:
Botulism is a serious illness thatis produced by Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), a Gram-positive, endospore-formingrod-shaped bacteria that secretebotulinum toxin. This toxin can cause paralysis. Paralysisstarts from the faceandspreadto limbs. Thereare several types of botulism, likefoodbornebotulism, intestinal botulism, infant botulism, and wound botulism.
Botulism causes dizziness, blurriness or double vision, nausea, pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Treatment of botulism can be done by administering antitoxins intravenously to nullify the effect of the botulinum toxin. Moreover, prevention from foodborne botulism can be done by sterilization and sealing of food products or at the time of canning.
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Chapter 26 Solutions
Nester's Microbiology: A Human Perspective
- Why must the antitoxin be administered in the earliest phases of botulism?arrow_forwardWhat is Escherichia coli infection?arrow_forwardTwo microbiologists are writing a textbook, but they cannot agree where to place the discussion of botulism. One favored the chapter on nervous system infections, whereas the other insisted on the chapter covering digestive system infections. Where do you think the discussion should be placed, and why?arrow_forward
- Is Saccharomyces boulardii safe?arrow_forwardExplain how the body (including cells, organs, organ systems) is affected by the bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis? Are there any long-term effects caused by the bacterium, even after recovery?arrow_forwardThe general public takes for granted the link between an infectious agent and a given infection Discuss the requirements established by Koch, the nineteenth-century German scientist, before ascertaining, for instance, that Helicobacter pylori bacterium is the cause of the gastric ulcer. Why is it so essential to meet these conditions?arrow_forward
