ABSTRACT
Infant botulism is an intestinal toxemia caused principally by Clostridium botulinum. Since the infection occurs in the intestinal tract, numerous food products have been investigated for the presence of C. botulinum and its neurotoxins. In many countries, people use linden flower (Tilia spp) tea as a household remedy and give it to infants as a sedative. Therefore, to help provide a clear picture of this disease transmission, we investigated the presence of botulinum spores in linden flowers. In this study, we analyzed 100 samples of unwrapped linden flowers and 100 samples of linden flowers in tea bags to determine the prevalence and spore-load of C. botulinum. Results were analyzed by the Fisher test. We detected a prevalence of 3% of botulinum spores in the unwrapped linden flowers analyzed and a spore load of 30 spores per 100 grams. None of the industrialized linden flowers analyzed were contaminated with botulinum spores. C. botulinum type A was identified in two samples and type B in one sample. Linden flowers must be considered a potential vehicle of C. botulinum, and the ingestion of linden flower tea can represent a risk factor for infant botulism.
El botulismo del lactante es una toxiinfección causada, principalmente, por Clostridium botulinum. Debido a que esta infección ocurre en el tracto intestinal, la presencia de esta bacteria y sus neurotoxinas ha sido investigada en numerosos alimentos. En muchos países se utiliza el té de tilo (Tilia spp.) como sedante natural, el que se administra incluso a los lactantes. A fin de contribuir al esclarecimiento de la transmisión de esta enfermedad, se investigó la prevalencia y la carga de esporas botulínicas en esta hierba. Se analizaron 100 muestras de tilo comercializado a granel y 100 muestras de tilo industralizado en “saquitos”. Los resultados de prevalencia fueron analizados por el test de Fisher y la carga de esporas por la técnica del número más probable. Se halló una prevalencia de esporas de C. botulinum del 3% en el tilo comercializado a granel, con una carga de 30 esporas/100 g de hierba. En tanto, ninguna de las muestras en saquitos acusó la presencia del patógeno. Se identificaron tres cepas de C. botulinum, dos tipo A y una tipo B. En virtud de estos resultados, el tilo podría considerarse un potencial vehículo de esporas de C. botulinum y la administración de sus infusiones a menores y lactantes, un riesgo para la transmisión de la enfermedad.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Infant , Mice , Beverages/adverse effects , Botulism/transmission , Clostridium botulinum/isolation & purification , Food Microbiology , Flowers/microbiology , Spores, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Tilia/microbiology , Argentina , Biological Assay , Beverages/microbiology , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/analysis , Botulinum Toxins/analysis , Clostridium botulinum/physiology , Dust , Food Packaging , Hot Temperature , Medicine, Traditional/adverse effects , Phytotherapy/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Infant botulism is the most common form of human botulism; however, its transmission has not been completely explained yet. Some of the most recognized potential sources of Clostridium botulinum spores are the soil, dust, honey and medicinal herbs. In Argentina, 456 cases of infant botulism were reported between 1982 and 2007. C. botulinum type A was identified in 455 of these cases whereas type B was identified in just one case. However, in Argentina, types A, B, E, F, G, and Af have been isolated from environmental sources. It is not clearly known if strains isolated from infant botulism cases have different characteristics from strains isolated from other sources. During this study, 46 C. botulinum strains isolated from infant botulism cases and from environmental sources were typified according to phenotypic characteristics. Biochemical tests, antimicrobial activity, and haemagglutinin-negative botulinum neurotoxin production showed uniformity among all these strains. Despite the variability observed in the botulinum neurotoxin's binding to cellular receptors, no correlation was found between these patterns and the source of the botulinum neurotoxin. However, an apparent geographical clustering was observed, since strains isolated from Argentina had similar characteristics to those isolated from Italy and Japan, but different to those isolated from the United States.
Subject(s)
Botulism/microbiology , Clostridium botulinum/isolation & purification , Argentina/epidemiology , Botulinum Toxins/isolation & purification , Botulinum Toxins/metabolism , Botulism/epidemiology , Clostridium botulinum/chemistry , Clostridium botulinum/classification , Environmental Microbiology , Foodborne Diseases/microbiology , Glycosphingolipids/metabolism , Humans , Infant , Italy , Japan , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Phenotype , Protein Binding , Serotyping , United StatesABSTRACT
Infant botulism is the most common form of human botulism; however, its transmission has not been completely explained yet. Some of the most recognized potential sources of Clostridium botulinum spores are the soil, dust, honey and medicinal herbs. In Argentina, 456 cases of infant botulism were reported between 1982 and 2007. C. botulinum type A was identified in 455 of these cases whereas type B was identified in just one case. However, in Argentina, types A, B, E, F, G, and Af have been isolated from environmental sources. It is not clearly known if strains isolated from infant botulism cases have different characteristics from strains isolated from other sources. During this study, 46 C. botulinum strains isolated from infant botulism cases and from environmental sources were typified according to phenotypic characteristics. Biochemical tests, antimicrobial activity, and haemagglutinin-negative botulinum neurotoxin production showed uniformity among all these strains. Despite the variability observed in the botulinum neurotoxin's binding to cellular receptors, no correlation was found between these patterns and the source of the botulinum neurotoxin. However, an apparent geographical clustering was observed, since strains isolated from Argentina had similar characteristics to those isolated from Italy and Japan, but different to those isolated from the United States.
El botulismo del lactante es la forma más común del botulismo humano; sin embargo, su forma de transmisión no ha sido totalmente explicada. El suelo, el polvo ambiental, la miel y algunas hierbas medicinales son potenciales fuentes de esporas de Clostridium botulinum. Entre 1982 y 2007 se informaron en Argentina 456 casos de botulismo del lactante, 455 casos debidos al serotipo A y uno al serotipo B. Sin embargo, los serotipos A, B, E, F, G y Af han sido aislados de suelos y otras fuentes en Argentina. No se conoce si las cepas aisladas de casos de botulismo del lactante poseen características diferentes de las cepas aisladas de otras fuentes. Durante este estudio se caracterizaron 46 cepas de C. botulinum. Las pruebas bioquímicas y de sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos y la producción de neurotoxina botulínica hemaglutinina-negativa mostraron uniformidad entre estas cepas. A pesar de la variabilidad observada respecto de la unión de la neurotoxina a receptores celulares, no se observó una correlación entre estos patrones de unión y la fuente de aislamiento. Sin embargo, se observó una aparente agrupación geográfica, ya que las cepas aisladas en Argentina tuvieron características similares a las observadas en las cepas aisladas en Italia y Japón, pero diferentes de las que se registraron en las cepas aisladas en los Estados Unidos.
Subject(s)
Humans , Infant , Botulism/microbiology , Clostridium botulinum/isolation & purification , Argentina/epidemiology , Botulinum Toxins/isolation & purification , Botulinum Toxins/metabolism , Botulism/epidemiology , Clostridium botulinum/chemistry , Clostridium botulinum/classification , Environmental Microbiology , Foodborne Diseases/microbiology , Glycosphingolipids/metabolism , Italy , Japan , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Phenotype , Protein Binding , Serotyping , United StatesABSTRACT
Infant botulism is an intestinal toxemia caused principally by Clostridium botulinum. Since the infection occurs in the intestinal tract, numerous food products have been investigated for the presence of C. botulinum and its neurotoxins. In many countries, people use linden flower (Tilia spp) tea as a household remedy and give it to infants as a sedative. Therefore, to help provide a clear picture of this disease transmission, we investigated the presence of botulinum spores in linden flowers. In this study, we analyzed 100 samples of unwrapped linden flowers and 100 samples of linden flowers in tea bags to determine the prevalence and spore-load of C. botulinum. Results were analyzed by the Fisher test. We detected a prevalence of 3% of botulinum spores in the unwrapped linden flowers analyzed and a spore load of 30 spores per 100 grams. None of the industrialized linden flowers analyzed were contaminated with botulinum spores. C. botulinum type A was identified in two samples and type B in one sample. Linden flowers must be considered a potential vehicle of C. botulinum, and the ingestion of linden flower tea can represent a risk factor for infant botulism.
Subject(s)
Beverages/adverse effects , Botulism/transmission , Clostridium botulinum/isolation & purification , Flowers/microbiology , Food Microbiology , Spores, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Tilia/microbiology , Animals , Argentina , Beverages/microbiology , Biological Assay , Botulinum Toxins/analysis , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/analysis , Clostridium botulinum/physiology , Dust , Food Packaging , Hot Temperature , Humans , Infant , Medicine, Traditional/adverse effects , Mice , Phytotherapy/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Botulism, well known for centuries, continues to preoccupy the Public Health authorities, food and agricultural industries. In its oldest form it results from ingestion of food containing botulinum toxin. To correctly evaluate the incidence of botulism it is fundamental to know the distribution of botulinum toxin-producing clostridia (Clostridium botulinum, C. baratii, C. butyricum and C. argentinense) in nature, specially in the soil, its main reservoir. In our country, this study has been carried out in a partial way. With the aim to contribute to such knowledge, 240 soil samples from Entre Ríos province were examined for C. botulinum and 35 (14.6%) samples resulted positive.
Subject(s)
Clostridium/isolation & purification , Soil Microbiology , Animal Husbandry , Animals , Argentina/epidemiology , Biological Assay , Botulism/epidemiology , Botulism/microbiology , Botulism/veterinary , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/epidemiology , Cattle Diseases/microbiology , Clostridium/classification , Clostridium/metabolism , Clostridium botulinum/isolation & purification , Clostridium botulinum/metabolism , Disease Reservoirs , Mice , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
El botulismo, reconocido desde hace siglos, continúa preocupando a las autoridades de salud pública y a las industrias alimentaria y agropecuaria. En su forma más antigua, resulta de la ingestión de alimentos conteniendo toxina botulínica. Para evaluar correctamente el riesgo de la incidencia del botulismo, es fundamental el conocimiento de la distribución de clostridios productores de toxina botulínica (Clostridium botulinum, C.baratii, C.butyricum y C.argentinense) en el medio natural, sobre todo en el suelo, su principal reservorio. En nuestro país este estudio se ha realizado en forma parcial. Con el objetivo de contribuir con dicho conocimiento se analizaron 240 muestras provenientes de la provincia de Entre Ríos, de las cuales 35 (17,6 por ciento ) resultaron positivas. (AU)
Subject(s)
Botulism/microbiology , Clostridium botulinum , Soil Microbiology , ArgentinaABSTRACT
El botulismo, reconocido desde hace siglos, continúa preocupando a las autoridades de salud pública y a las industrias alimentaria y agropecuaria. En su forma más antigua, resulta de la ingestión de alimentos conteniendo toxina botulínica. Para evaluar correctamente el riesgo de la incidencia del botulismo, es fundamental el conocimiento de la distribución de clostridios productores de toxina botulínica (Clostridium botulinum, C.baratii, C.butyricum y C.argentinense) en el medio natural, sobre todo en el suelo, su principal reservorio. En nuestro país este estudio se ha realizado en forma parcial. Con el objetivo de contribuir con dicho conocimiento se analizaron 240 muestras provenientes de la provincia de Entre Ríos, de las cuales 35 (17,6 por ciento ) resultaron positivas.
Subject(s)
Argentina , Botulism , Clostridium botulinum , Soil MicrobiologyABSTRACT
Botulism, well known for centuries, continues to preoccupy the Public Health authorities, food and agricultural industries. In its oldest form it results from ingestion of food containing botulinum toxin. To correctly evaluate the incidence of botulism it is fundamental to know the distribution of botulinum toxin-producing clostridia (Clostridium botulinum, C. baratii, C. butyricum and C. argentinense) in nature, specially in the soil, its main reservoir. In our country, this study has been carried out in a partial way. With the aim to contribute to such knowledge, 240 soil samples from Entre Ríos province were examined for C. botulinum and 35 (14.6
) samples resulted positive.
ABSTRACT
Nutritional evaluation is required to treat patients with hepatic disease. A significant correlation was demonstrated between real body weights lean body mass (LMB) with arm muscular area (AMA) (P less than 0.001); LBM of patients with ascites Vs without ascites showed significant differences (P less than 0.02). No significant differences (P greater than 0.1) was demonstrated, when we used the AMA between patients with Vs without ascites. Albumin values showed slight depletion on 20%; 12% had moderate and 4% had very severe depletion, but 64% of patients had normal values. Albumin-transferrin showed very good correlation (P less than 0.001); but there was no correlation between albumin-AMA, transferrin-AMA, transferrin-MMM and albumin-MMM (P greater than 0.05). The lymphocytic count on 53.33% was normal, 37.67% showed light depletion and 9% had moderate; PPDs was greater than 10mm in 60.86%; normal in 17.36%, and not reactive in 21.75%. AMA is a real and ideal nutritional evaluation method, because it is able to correct the errors due to the presence of ascites.