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Botulism |
| Test | Botulism |
| Indication | Botulism is a neurotoxin, botulism may be produced by C. botulinum in foods which have been improperly preserved. Food poisoning inlude vomiting and abdominal pain, disturbances of vision, motor function and secretion, mydriasis, ptosis, dry mouth and cough. The test is used to diagnose infant botulism, sudden death syndrome, floppy baby syndrome, classic botulism in adults. |
| Physiology | Infant botulism causes hypotonia (floppy baby syndrome), constipation, difficulty in feeding, and a weak cry. Some cases of sudden death syndrome has been found due to ingestion of honey containing C. botulinum |
| Normal Range | No toxin identified, no clostridium botulinum isolated. |
| Sample | Vomit, serum, stool, gastric washings, cerbrospinal fluid or autopsy tissue, food samples. |
| Test Method | Toxin neutralization test in mice. |
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