Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.24.69 (botulinum neurotoxin)
 1,901 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Infant botulism is a rare disease in the UK, with the first case being recognized in 1978 and only five subsequent cases being reported before 2007. This study reports two unlinked cases of infant botulism, caused by two distinct strains of Clostridium botulinum (toxin types A and B, respectively), that occurred within a single month in the south-east of England in October 2007. The use of real-time PCR to detect C. botulinum neurotoxin genes in clinical specimens to improve the diagnostic procedure and to follow carriage of the causative organism in the infant gut is described. The laboratory investigation of these two cases demonstrated that a combination of the mouse bioassay, real-time PCR assays and conventional microbiological culture can provide rapid confirmation of a clinical diagnosis and affect patient management. Both infants (aged 4 and 8 months) were previously healthy prior to the onset of symptoms, and in both cases, a diagnosis of infant botulism was delayed for at least 10 days after initial admission to hospital. Once diagnosed, one of the infants was the first in the UK to be treated with human-derived botulism immunoglobulin. Real-time PCR was used to demonstrate that C. botulinum was excreted in the infants' faeces for up to 68 and 81 days, respectively. Despite the infrequency of infant botulism in the UK, clinicians should be aware of this rare but serious condition and should seek microbiological advice when presented with young infants with compatible symptomologies.
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PMID:Report of two unlinked cases of infant botulism in the UK in October 2007. 1966 Dec 2

Intoxication with botulinum neurotoxin can occur through various routes. Foodborne botulism results after consumption of food in which botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia (i.e., Clostridium botulinum or strains of Clostridium butyricum type E or Clostridium baratii type F) have replicated and produced botulinum neurotoxin. Infection of a wound with C. botulinum and in situ production of botulinum neurotoxin leads to wound botulism. Colonization of the intestine by neurotoxigenic clostridia, with consequent production of botulinum toxin in the intestine, leads to intestinal toxemia botulism. When this occurs in an infant, it is referred to as infant botulism, whereas in adults or children over 1 year of age, it is intestinal colonization botulism. Predisposing factors for intestinal colonization in children or adults include previous bowel or gastric surgery, anatomical bowel abnormalities, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, antimicrobial therapy, or foodborne botulism. Intestinal colonization botulism is confirmed by detection of botulinum toxin in serum and/or stool, or isolation of neurotoxigenic clostridia from the stool, without finding a toxic food. Shedding of neurotoxigenic clostridia in the stool may occur for a period of several weeks. Adult intestinal botulism occurs as isolated cases, and may go undiagnosed, contributing to the low reported incidence of this rare disease.
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PMID:Adult Intestinal Toxemia Botulism. 3199 91