Multilocus Outbreak of Foodborne Botulism Linked to Contaminated Sausage in Hebei Province, China

Abstract

In 2007, an outbreak of foodborne botulism occurred in Hebei province, China. An epidemiological investigation and laboratory detection studies showed that sausage contaminated by type A Clostridium botulinum caused this outbreak of food poisoning. Its clinical and epidemiological features were different from previous reports of food poisoning.

Foodborne Botulism: A Study of 57 Cases in Northwest Iran

“…However, the range is wide and botulism may affects any age groups from neonatal to elderly. Some authors reported slightly higher incidence of FBB in rural areas [5,7,19,27,28]. In our study, 56.1% of patients were residents of urban areas, but, this may still consistent with the results of other studies because according to the last national census, more than 62.7% of our province's inhabitants live in urban areas.…”

“…C. botulinum is an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacillus [5]. Its hardy spores are ubiquitously spread in soil and aquatic sediments and commonly contaminate foods [2,6].…”

“…Since the discovery of the toxin about 100 years ago, eight immunologically distinct BoNTs have been identified and designated by letters A through H [3,12,13]. Almost all human cases of botulism are caused by one of three serotypes (A, B, or E) [1,2,5,9,14]. Vol 10, No 6, November-December 2016; http://www.ijt.ir…”

An Ultrasensitive Gold Nanoparticle-based Lateral Flow Test for the Detection of Active Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A

“…Compared with traditional MLA or ELISA methods, the assay takes only half a day and consumes significantly less sample and reagents, which will significantly reduce assay cost and simplify disposal. In China, the majority of the cases caused by botulism were from less-developed rural areas [26]. This assay may contribute to the improvement of treatment for botulism without any requirements for skilled laboratory staff, additional facilities, or equipments.…”

Two-family outbreak of botulism associated with the consumption of smoked ribs in Sichuan Province, China

“…10 First, a colloidal gold solution was prepared by constant mixing of 0.01% (w/v) chloroauric acid hydrate (gold chloride) and 0.01% (w/v) sodium citrate for about 10 min at boiling temperature. The pH of the solution was then titrated to 8.5 with K 2 CO 3 .…”