4,586 results match your criteria: "Botulism"

Accurately assessing potential side effects following botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection remains a formidable challenge. To address this issue, an innovative approach is developed that combines a wearable temperature sensor with a sophisticated volatilomics technique, aimed at facilitating the rapid and convenient prediction of potential physical discomfort related to latrogenic botulism. The investigation identifies five volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-acetone, styrene, ethanol, 2-pentanone, and n-butano-as promising markers indicative of BoNT poisoning.

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Open ventral hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgeries by general surgeons worldwide. In the case of complex incisional hernias, there are adjunct techniques that can help abdominal wall reconstruction surgery, such as type A botulinum toxin (BTA), whose injection results in muscle relaxation and growth of muscle fiber length, allowing fascial closure without the need for advanced techniques. We report a case of a male patient who underwent ultrasound-guided BTA injection in the abdominal wall and, five days later, was admitted to our emergency department with dysarthria, muscular weakness, dyspnea on small exertion, and constipation.

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SiO/Si interferometers designed for on-site botulinum neurotoxin serotypes B and C quantification and biological activity assessment.

Biosens Bioelectron

December 2024

Institute of Agricultural Engineering, ARO, Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion, 7505101, Israel. Electronic address:

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT), the agent causing botulism, exhibit the highest potency among bacterial toxins and pose a significant threat to both humans and animals. The current in vivo method (mouse lethality assay, MLA) is inappropriate for real-time and pen-side assessment of the occurring outbreak or case. Herein, we describe a reflective-based biosensor capable of detecting the toxin's type and activity state by competitive immunoassay and endopeptidase activity, respectively.

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International Proficiency Test Targeting a Large Panel of Botulinum Neurotoxin Sero- and Subtypes in Different Matrices.

Toxins (Basel)

November 2024

Unité des Toxines Bactériennes, UMR CNRS 6047, Inserm U1306, Université Paris-Cité, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France.

Detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) involves a combination of technical challenges that call for the execution of inter-laboratory proficiency tests (PTs) to define the performance and ease of implementation of existing diagnostic methods regarding representative BoNT toxin-types spiked in clinical, food, or environmental matrices. In the framework of the EU project EuroBioTox, we organized an international proficiency test for the detection and quantification of the clinically relevant BoNT/A, B, E, and F sero- and subtypes including concentrations as low as 0.5 ng/mL.

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Background: Anal fissures, tears in the epithelium of the anal canal that cause pain and bleeding, have a lifetime prevalence of 11%. While surgical treatments, such as lateral internal sphincterotomy are traditional, they pose postoperative complications. Recent studies investigated less invasive options involving botulinum toxin injection, showing promise with fewer adverse effects.

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Clostridial infections, known for their severity and rapid progression, present significant challenges in both clinical and veterinary fields. These bacteria, which can survive without oxygen and produce protective spores, cause many diseases, ranging from simple gastrointestinal disorders to severe and potentially fatal infections including botulism, tetanus, and gas gangrene. The rising occurrence of antibiotic-resistant strains and the repetitive character of some Clostridial illnesses, including Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI), highlight the immediate need for alternate treatment approaches.

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Healthcare workers' knowledge and preparedness for unprecedented foodborne botulism outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

J Infect Public Health

December 2024

College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Evidence-Based Health Care & Knowledge Translation Research Chair, Family & Community Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia; Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Department, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address:

Background: The recent unprecedented foodborne botulism outbreak in Saudi Arabia necessitated an assessment of healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). This study assessed healthcare workers' knowledge regarding the transmission, contagiousness, presentation, and diagnosis of foodborne botulism, as well as their management practices, including contacting public health authorities, administering antitoxin, preparedness to respond to botulism cases and consulting generative Artificial Intelligent (AI)-chatbots, like ChatGPT.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey targeting Saudi HCWs was conducted from May 6-19, 2024, following the first foodborne botulism outbreak.

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First case of infant botulism in Sicily-case report.

Ital J Pediatr

November 2024

Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.

Article Synopsis
  • Botulism is a serious disease caused by a toxin from Clostridium botulinum, leading to muscle paralysis and respiratory issues; diagnosing it can be tough without typical risk factors, such as honey consumption.
  • A documented case of infant botulism in Sicily involved an exclusively breastfed baby showing symptoms like poor suction and hypotonia, without any obvious food contamination history.
  • The key to the successful treatment was recognizing the signs early, administering botulinum antitoxin, and confirming the diagnosis through tests, emphasizing the need for awareness of all possible exposure sources, including inhalation of contaminated dust.
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Unlabelled: We sought to identify counties in the northeastern United States where the incidence of infant botulism (IB) is elevated compared to the nationwide incidence and to assess associations with soil type at the case residence. IB cases were identified through the distribution of the orphan drug Human Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous for treatment of IB by state and national surveillance systems and were subsequently confirmed by laboratory testing. IB incidence by county was calculated as the number of IB cases divided by the number of live births in the county from 2000 to 2019.

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Iatrogenic botulism after intragastric botulinum neurotoxin injections - a major outbreak.

Neurol Res Pract

October 2024

Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.

Article Synopsis
  • Intragastric botulinum neurotoxin injections (IBNI) are being used as a weight-loss treatment, but an outbreak of severe iatrogenic botulism occurred in early 2023 in Europe after patients received this treatment in Turkey.
  • A retrospective analysis was conducted on ten patients in Austria and Germany who experienced severe symptoms like double vision, swallowing difficulties, and paralysis after IBNI.
  • Despite the severity of their conditions, all patients were hospitalized, many in intensive care, and ultimately recovered without lasting health issues, underscoring the need for awareness and risk mitigation in medical procedures involving botulinum neurotoxins.
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Clostridial Infections in Cattle: A Comprehensive Review with Emphasis on Current Data Gaps in Brazil.

Animals (Basel)

October 2024

Instituto de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal 68740-970, PA, Brazil.

Article Synopsis
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Antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium botulinum group III field strains isolated in Europe from animal outbreaks.

Vet Microbiol

November 2024

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Microbiology and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Vicolo Mazzini 4, Villorba, Treviso 31020, Italy.

Neurotoxins produced by Clostridium (C.) botulinum group III are responsible for the majority of botulism outbreaks occurring in animals and in this study we report the drug susceptibility of 71 field strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 13 antimicrobials was established through the agar dilution method.

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Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist to Monitor Diaphragmatic Activity in Infantile Botulism.

Pediatrics

November 2024

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Penn State Health Children's Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Article Synopsis
  • Infantile botulism is a serious neuromuscular condition that can lead to paralysis and respiratory complications, prompting the need for mechanical ventilation.
  • A case study of an infant in Pennsylvania highlighted the effective use of Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) alongside botulism immune globulin to monitor and support diaphragm function during recovery.
  • The findings suggest that using a NAVA catheter is beneficial for tracking diaphragm activity, ultimately aiding in decision-making for extubation in infants recovering from infantile botulism.
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Outpatient Infant Botulism in the United States, 1976-2021.

J Pediatr

January 2025

Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, Infectious Diseases Laboratories Division, Center for Laboratory Sciences, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA. Electronic address:

Objective: To characterize cases of outpatients with infant botulism (IB) in the US identified by the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program at the California Department of Public Health from 1976 through 2021.

Study Design: Outpatient IB cases were defined as patients presenting with an illness consistent with the known paralyzing action of botulinum neurotoxin and with laboratory confirmation. Outpatient cases were distinguished from the majority of patients with IB by the atypical fact that they did not require hospitalization throughout the course of their illness.

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Article Synopsis
  • Botulism is a serious condition caused by a toxic protein from the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, leading to paralysis by blocking neurotransmitter release.
  • The poisoning can occur from eating contaminated food, inhaling the toxin, or through skin contact.
  • In 2023, there was an outbreak of iatrogenic botulism in Europe linked to intragastric injections, and this text discusses this phenomenon along with two specific cases from Switzerland.
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Genomic and phenotypic polymorphism of Clostridium botulinum Group II strain Beluga through laboratory domestication.

Int J Food Microbiol

January 2025

Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Laboratory domestication leads to genetic and physiological changes in organisms, impacting foodborne pathogens like Clostridium botulinum.
  • Research on C. botulinum Group II Beluga revealed a thymidine dependency due to a mutation in the thyA gene, affecting nutrient synthesis.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring laboratory strains for mutations to ensure accuracy in food safety tests, recommending lower passage numbers and regular genomic checks.
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Letter to the Editor: Infant Botulism - Correction to "Cognitive Bias in an Infant with Constipation".

J Pediatr

January 2025

Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, Infectious Diseases Laboratories Division, Center for Laboratory Sciences, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA.

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Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), including serotypes A and E, are potent biotoxins known to cause human poisoning. In addition to the critical protective antigen found in the full BoNT molecule, the receptor binding domain (Hc domain), BoNTs also harbour another essential protective antigen-the light chain-translocation domain (L-HN domain). Leveraging these pivotal protective antigens, we genetically engineered a series of inactivated chimeric molecules incorporating L-HN and Hc domains of BoNT/A and E.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers are using modified forms of BoNTs and TeTX, labeled with reporter proteins and fluorophores, to visualize and study cellular processes in neurons, enhancing our understanding of synaptic functions.
  • * The study discusses advanced optical probes made from these toxins, their design, applications in molecular biology and neurodevelopment, advantages, limitations, and future potential, highlighting their role in neuroimaging and neuroscience advancements.
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