Botulism Flashcards
- Know the following characteristics about each bacterial disease studied for this unit:
a. Genus and species name (English equivalent if given)
b. Gram reaction
c. Cell shape
d. Disease name
e. Virulence factors
f. Transmission
g. Clinical symptoms of disease
h. Vaccine available
i. Treatment
a. Genus and species name (English equivalent if given): Clostridium botulinum
b. Gram reaction: G +
c. Cell shape: Bacillus
d. Disease name: Botulism
e. Virulence factors:
Very powerful exotoxin
Neurotoxin
neuro: nervous system
toxin: poison
Colorless, tasteless, odorless
Blocks nerve stimulus of muscles: causes flaccid paralysis do to destruction of motor neuron endings
f. Transmission:
Food-borne botulism: Consume food contaminated by toxin
Wound botulism: growth of bacteria in necrotic tissue leads to production of exotoxin
Infant/Intestinal botulism: seen in infants under age 1
g. Clinical symptoms of disease:
h. Vaccine available: Yes BUT……..Only for military or high risk lab personnel/ None for public
Very painful to receive
Several months to build protective immunity
Not effective against all forms of botulinum toxin
i. Treatment: Antibiotics of no value against toxin
Cipro: kills bacteria
Antitoxin: Passive immunity (antiserum) neutralizes exotoxin
Adults: Equine Heptavalent (against 7 strains)
Infants: Human antiserum called BIG
stop spread of paralysis
doesn’t reverse paralysis
Ventilator: supportive therapy
Several months to recover
Food botulism: indue vomiting or use enemas to remove any food not absorbed
Wound botulism: may require surgery to clean out wound
Botulism - Genus and species name
Clostridium botulinum
Botulism - Gram reaction of bacteria
G+
Botulism - Cell shape
Bacillus
Botulism - Spore location
terminal
Botulism - Oxygen requirement
anaerobic bacteria
What is the disease name for Clostridium botulinum?
Botulism
What are the Virulence factors for Botulism?
Very powerful exotoxin Neurotoxin neuro: nervous system toxin: poison Colorless, tasteless, odorless Blocks nerve stimulus of muscles: causes flaccid paralysis do to destruction of motor neuron endings
Transmission of Botulism. How does it happen?
Food-borne botulism: Consume food contaminated by toxin
Wound botulism: growth of bacteria in necrotic tissue leads to production of exotoxin
Infant/Intestinal botulism: seen in infants under age 1
What are the Clinical symptoms of botulism.
What are the clinical symptoms for all 3 forms?
Early: (Gastrointestinal symptoms typically do not occur in wound botulism cases) abdominal pain nausea vomiting diarrhea constipation 1 – 2 days later Muscle paralysis starts in head, face, neck blurred vision, slurred speech, droopy eyelids spreads to arms, legs paralyzes respiratory system Respiratory Failure Most common cause of death Recovery usually includes need for ventilation Full recovery may take few weeks to 1 year (new nerve endings must regrow) Fatality rate: 2 – 3 % with support
What is the virulence factor?
Exotoxin – Strongest Known Toxin
Neurotoxin
Why is the virulence factor categorized as a neurotoxin?
neuro: nervous system
toxin: poison
What are some characteristics about the virulence factor?
Colorless, tasteless, odorless
Blocks nerve stimulus of muscles: causes flaccid paralysis do to destruction of motor neuron endings
What stage of the bacteria life cycle produces the virulence factor?
Produced under anaerobic conditions
Can the bacteria produce the exotoxin in the aerobic human body?
Normally: Spores cannot germinate in human body and cells cannot grow
What type of muscle paralysis results from the virulence factor? How would paralysis of a stroke victim differ from paralysis in a botulism patient?
Flaccid Paralysis
Limbs lose their tone; become flabby
Similar to stroke victim
Exotoxin enter synaptic knob (end of nerve) and inhibit release of acetylcholine
Acetylcholine needed to stimulate muscle contraction
Can the virulence factor cross the brain barrier?
1
What is acetylcholine and how does the virulence factor affect the release of acetylcholine from motor neurons?
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, the virulence factor affects it by inhibiting the release of acetycholine. By not having in acetycholine being released there is nothing stimulating muscle contraction, therefore you have flaccid paralysis.