Diagnostics of Clostridium botulinum

Botulism is a highly fatal disease of man and animals caused by neurotoxins of Clostridium botulinum, the most potent biological toxins known. It is characterized by partial or complete flaccid paralysis of the muscles of locomotion, mastication and deglutition. This work describes important diagnostic methods including new efficient immunoassay and laboratory medium. The medium enabled the isolation of C. botulinum types C and D which are normally extremely difficult to isolate. A swarming character of C. botulinum was reported here for the first time. Cross reaction between tetanus toxin and botulinum anti-toxins (A-F) was reported and interpreted. The bulk of the samples investigated for C. botulinum in this study was from equine grass sickness (EGS) cases and their environment, a disease suspected to be a form of botulism. However, this study has found no link between EGS and botulinum neurotoxins.