Foodborne Toxic Infections. Botulism

Food-borne toxic infections are illnesses that occur as a result of ingestion of preformed toxins present in contaminated food, rather than from infection by live bacteria. These toxins can be heat-stable and may survive conventional cooking or preservation methods, posing a significant risk to public health. One of the most serious and potentially fatal food-borne toxic infections is ‘ botulism’, caused by the neurotoxin produced by ‘Clostridium botulinum’. ‘Clostridium botulinum’ is an anaerobic, spore-forming, Gram-positive bacillus widely distributed in soil, sediments, and the environment. It produces botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which is among the most potent biological toxins known. BoNT affects the nervous system by inhibiting acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions, leading to ‘flaccid paralysis’. There are seven serotypes of BoNT (A–G), of which types A, B, E, and rarely F are responsible for human disease.