Molecular Characterization of Clostridium botulinum Harboring the bont/B7 Gene.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which is the causative agent of botulism, a rare but serious disease that can result in death if not treated. Infant botulism occurs when C. botulinum colonizes the intestinal tract of infants and produces BoNT. It has been proposed that infants under the age of 1 year are uniquely susceptible to colonization by C. botulinum as their intestinal microbiota is not fully developed and provides little competition, allowing C. botulinum to thrive and produce BoNT in the gut. There are seven well-characterized serotypes (A-G) of BoNT identified by the ability of specific antitoxins to neutralize BoNTs. Molecular technology has allowed researchers to narrow these further into subtypes based on nucleic acid seq

SUBMITTER: Halpin JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6585170 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature