Toxemia in Human Naturally Acquired Botulism.

Human botulism is a severe disease characterized by flaccid paralysis and inhibition of certain gland secretions, notably salivary secretions, caused by inhibition of neurotransmitter release. Naturally acquired botulism occurs in three main forms: food-borne botulism by ingestion of preformed botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in food, botulism by intestinal colonization (infant botulism and intestinal toxemia botulism in infants above one year and adults), and wound botulism. A rapid laboratory confirmation of botulism is required for the appropriate management of patients. Detection of BoNT in the patient's sera is the most direct way to address the diagnosis of botulism. Based on previous published reports, botulinum toxemia was identified in about 70% of food-borne and wound botulism cases, and only in about 28% of infant botulism cases, in which the diagnosis is mainly confirmed from stool sample investigation. The presence of BoNT in serum depends on the BoNT amount ingested with contaminated food or produced locally in the intestine or wound, and the timeframe between serum sampling and disease onset. BoNT levels in patient's sera are most frequently low, requiring a highly sensitive method of detection. Mouse bioassay is still the most used method of botulism identification from serum samples. However, in vitro methods based on BoNT endopeptidase activity with detection by mass spectrometry or immunoassay have been developed and depending on BoNT type, are more sensitive than the mouse bioassay. These new assays show high specificity for individual BoNT types and allow more accurate differentiation between positive toxin sera from botulism and autoimmune neuropathy patients.

Type C/D botulism in the waterfowl in an urban park in Italy.

This report describes an outbreak of botulism occurred among a free-living population of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and geese (Anser anser) in an urban park. Mortality rate among investigated population was 86,8% (118 dead out of 136). Twenty-seven carcasses were collected for macroscopic examination and screened for microbiological, virological, toxicological investigations. A sick mallard was captured and neurological symptoms were observed. No causative agent of viral avian diseases was found in the examined animals and screening for environmental neurotoxic substances proved negative as well. In contrast, microbiological cultures from specimens tested positive for botulinum toxin-producing clostridia. Blood serum and fecal extract of the sick mallard proved positive for botulinum neurotoxin in the standard mouse protection test using reference Clostridium botulinum type C antitoxin. Gene content of cultured strains showed a mosaic composition of bont/C and bont/D sequences, defining them as type C/D chimeric organisms.

Implementing the Bruker MALDI Biotyper in the Public Health Laboratory for C. botulinum Neurotoxin Detection.

Currently, the gold standard method for active botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) detection is the mouse bioassay (MBA). A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-developed mass spectrometry (MS)-based assay that detects active BoNT was successfully validated and implemented in a public health laboratory in clinical matrices using the Bruker MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry) Biotyper. For the first time, a direct comparison with the MBA was performed to determine MS-based assay sensitivity using the Bruker MALDI Biotyper. Mice were injected with BoNT/A, /B, /E, and /F at concentrations surrounding the established MS assay limit of detection (LOD) and analyzed simultaneously. For BoNT/B, /E, and /F, MS assay sensitivity was equivalent or better than the MBA at 25, 0.3, and 8.8 mLD50, respectively. BoNT/A was detected by the MBA between 1.8 and 18 mLD50, somewhat more sensitive than the MS method of 18 mLD50. Studies were performed to compare assay performance in clinical specimens. For all tested specimens, the MS method rapidly detected BoNT activity and serotype in agreement with, or in the absence of, results from the MBA. We demonstrate that the MS assay can generate reliable, rapid results while eliminating the need for animal testing.

Investigation of a type C/D botulism outbreak in free-range laying hens in France.

In 2014, a botulism outbreak in a flock of laying hens was investigated in France. In the flock of 5020 hens, clinical signs of botulism occurred at 46 weeks of age. A type C/D botulism outbreak was confirmed using the mouse lethality assay for detection of botulinum toxin in serum and a real-time PCR test to detect Clostridium botulinum in intestinal contents. The disease lasted one week with a mortality rate of 2.6% without recurrence. Botulism in laying hens has rarely been reported. Five monthly visits were made to the farm between December 2014 and May 2015 for a longitudinal study of the persistence of C. botulinum in the poultry house after the outbreak, and to assess egg contamination by C. botulinum. Several samples were collected on each visit: in the house (from the ventilation circuit, the egg circuit, water and feed, droppings) and the surrounding area. Thirty clean and 30 dirty eggs were also swabbed at each visit. In addition, 12 dirty and 12 clean eggs were collected to analyse eggshell and egg content. The samples were analysed using real-time PCR to detect type C/D C. botulinum. The bacterium was still detected in the house more than 5 months after the outbreak, mostly on the walls and in the egg circuit. Regarding egg contamination, the bacteria were detected only on the shell but not in the content of the eggs. Control measures should therefore be implemented throughout the egg production period to avoid dissemination of the bacteria, particularly during egg collection.

Serological identification of botulinum neurotoxins: A critical overview.

The reasons that gave rise to the controversy over the serological method (SerM) and genetics regarding the identification of an alleged novel botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), type H, have been concisely examined. This discussion will remain opened inasmuch as the SerM is not performed according to the recommended procedures outlined in this overview and thoroughly discussed on previous publications. If correctly performed and interpreted, the SerM will keep its preeminence in the identification, typing and taxonomy of BoNTs.

Recommended mass spectrometry-based strategies to identify botulinum neurotoxin-containing samples.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause the disease called botulism, which can be lethal. BoNTs are proteins secreted by some species of clostridia and are known to cause paralysis by interfering with nerve impulse transmission. Although the human lethal dose of BoNT is not accurately known, it is estimated to be between 0.1 µg to 70 µg, so it is important to enable detection of small amounts of these toxins. Our laboratory previously reported on the development of Endopep-MS, a mass-spectrometric­based endopeptidase method to detect, differentiate, and quantify BoNT immunoaffinity purified from complex matrices. In this work, we describe the application of Endopep-MS for the analysis of thirteen blinded samples supplied as part of the EQuATox proficiency test. This method successfully identified the presence or absence of BoNT in all thirteen samples and was able to successfully differentiate the serotype of BoNT present in the samples, which included matrices such as buffer, milk, meat extract, and serum. Furthermore, the method yielded quantitative results which had z-scores in the range of -3 to +3 for quantification of BoNT/A containing samples. These results indicate that Endopep-MS is an excellent technique for detection, differentiation, and quantification of BoNT in complex matrices.

Enhanced detection of type C botulinum neurotoxin by the Endopep-MS assay through optimization of peptide substrates.

It is essential to have a simple, quick and sensitive method for the detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxins, the most toxic substances and the causative agents of botulism. Type C botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT/C) represents one of the seven members of distinctive BoNT serotypes (A to G) that cause botulism in animals and avians. Here we report the development of optimized peptide substrates for improving the detection of BoNT/C and /CD mosaic toxins using an Endopep-MS assay, a mass spectrometry-based method that is able to rapidly and sensitively detect and differentiate all types of BoNTs by extracting the toxin with specific antibodies and detecting the unique cleavage products of peptide substrates. Based on the sequence of a short SNAP-25 peptide, we conducted optimization through a comprehensive process including length determination, terminal modification, single and multiple amino acid residue substitution, and incorporation of unnatural amino acid residues. Our data demonstrate that an optimal peptide provides a more than 200-fold improvement over the substrate currently used in the Endopep-MS assay for the detection of BoNT/C1 and /CD mosaic. Using the new substrate in a four-hour cleavage reaction, the limit of detection for the BoNT/C1 complex spiked in buffer, serum and milk samples was determined to be 0.5, 0.5 and 1mouseLD50/mL, respectively, representing a similar or higher sensitivity than that obtained by traditional mouse bioassay.

Foodborne botulism associated with home-preserved turnip tops in Italy.

In Italy, foodborne botulism is a rare disease mainly due to home-preserved food. In the case reported here, clinical diagnosis was performed on the basis of clinical signs and referred consumption of home-preserved turnip tops in oil. Definitive diagnosis was performed by detection of botulinum toxin in sera and neuro-toxigenic organisms in stools and leftover food. This case report highlights the need of a high medical awareness, prompt clinical diagnosis, and synergic collaboration among the health authorities for a correct management of botulism as well as disease containment.

Centrifugal microfluidic platform for ultrasensitive detection of botulinum toxin.

We present an innovative centrifugal microfluidic immunoassay platform (SpinDx) to address the urgent biodefense and public health need for ultrasensitive point-of-care/incident detection of botulinum toxin. The simple, sample-to-answer centrifugal microfluidic immunoassay approach is based on binding of toxins to antibody-laden capture particles followed by sedimentation of the particles through a density-media in a microfluidic disk and quantification by laser-induced fluorescence. A blind, head-to-head comparison study of SpinDx versus the gold-standard mouse bioassay demonstrates 100-fold improvement in sensitivity (limit of detection = 0.09 pg/mL), while achieving total sample-to-answer time of <30 min with 2-µL required volume of the unprocessed sample. We further demonstrate quantification of botulinum toxin in both exogeneous (human blood and serum spiked with toxins) and endogeneous (serum from mice intoxicated via oral, intranasal, and intravenous routes) samples. SpinDx can analyze, without any sample preparation, multiple sample types including whole blood, serum, and food. It is readily expandable to additional analytes as the assay reagents (i.e., the capture beads and detection antibodies) are disconnected from the disk architecture and the reader, facilitating rapid development of new assays. SpinDx can also serve as a general-purpose immunoassay platform applicable to diagnosis of other conditions and diseases.

Validation of the Endopep-MS method for qualitative detection of active botulinum neurotoxins in human and chicken serum.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are highly toxic proteases produced by anaerobic bacteria. Traditionally, a mouse bioassay (MBA) has been used for detection of BoNTs, but for a long time, laboratories have worked with alternative methods for their detection. One of the most promising in vitro methods is a combination of an enzymatic and mass spectrometric assay called Endopep-MS. However, no comprehensive validation of the method has been presented. The main purpose of this work was to perform a validation for the qualitative analysis of BoNT-A, B, C, C/D, D, D/C, and F in serum. The limit of detection (LOD), selectivity, precision, stability in matrix and solution, and correlation with the MBA were evaluated. The LOD was equal to or even better than that of the MBA for BoNT-A, B, D/C, E, and F. Furthermore, Endopep-MS was for the first time successfully used to differentiate between BoNT-C and D and their mosaics C/D and D/C by different combinations of antibodies and target peptides. In addition, sequential antibody capture was presented as a new way to multiplex the method when only a small sample volume is available. In the comparison with the MBA, all the samples analyzed were positive for BoNT-C/D with both methods. These results indicate that the Endopep-MS method is a valid alternative to the MBA as the gold standard for BoNT detection based on its sensitivity, selectivity, and speed and that it does not require experimental animals.

Infantile botulism: a case report and review.

BACKGROUND: Infantile botulism is the result of ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores, and is the most common form of infection with botulism in the United States. Ninety percent of cases occur in infants <6 months old. The infants typically present with vague symptoms such as hypotonia and poor feeding. This article reports an infant with confirmed infantile botulism that presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with complaints of decreased feeding and absence of bowel movements for >1 week. OBJECTIVES: Review a case of infantile botulism, its diagnosis, and treatment. CASE REPORT: A 4-month-old healthy Caucasian male presented to the ED with a 6-day history of decreased feeding after referral from the pediatrician. He had not had a bowel movement for 9 days, and his parents were also concerned about increasing weakness, as he was no longer able to hold his head up on his own. In the ED, he was minimally interactive. His vital signs were within normal limits, and he had hypoactive bowel sounds and decreased tone throughout. He was admitted to the Children's Hospital and eventually transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. The botulism immunoglobulin was administered, and a diagnosis was confirmed with positive botulinum toxin in the stool samples. Full recovery was made by the infant. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the symptoms of botulism and a high degree of clinical suspicion is needed to make a prompt diagnosis.

Foodborne botulism treated with heptavalent botulism antitoxin.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of foodborne botulism and subsequent use of the investigational heptavalent botulism antitoxin (H-BAT). CASE SUMMARY: A 60-year-old man was hospitalized with blurred vision, diplopia, and dysarthria. On hospital day 2, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit for progressive fatigable weakness with ptosis, dysphagia, dysarthria, and nausea. Secondary to worsening respiratory distress, the patient was intubated and placed on a ventilator. The patient could open his eyes only with assistance but still had normal strength in all extremities. H-BAT was administered 48 hours after presentation for possible botulism. The patient then revealed that he consumed home-canned corn several days prior to admission. On hospital day 8, botulinum neurotoxin was confirmed in the patient's serum and the home-canned corn. The patient slowly regained muscle strength and was discharged to a long-term acute care facility on hospital day 22. DISCUSSION: Foodborne botulism is caused by a neurotoxin from Clostridium botulinum and usually occurs after the consumption of improperly prepared home-canned food. Botulism is characterized by symmetrical descending paralysis that may progress to respiratory arrest. The standard confirmatory test for botulism is a mouse bioassay to prove the presence of botulinum neurotoxin. Outside of supportive care, the treatment options for botulism are limited. Individuals with botulism often require intensive care unit monitoring and potentially ventilatory support. H-BAT, the only treatment available for botulism in patients older than 1 year, is a purified and despeciated equine-derived immunoglobulin active against all known botulinum neurotoxins. H-BAT's despeciation significantly reduces the risk of hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylaxis, and serum sickness. CONCLUSIONS: In a confirmed case of foodborne botulism treated with H-BAT, the patient tolerated H-BAT and did not develop any hypersensitivity reactions or serum sickness.

Simultaneous and sensitive detection of six serotypes of botulinum neurotoxin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based protein antibody microarrays.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by Clostridium botulinum, are a group of seven (A-G) immunologically distinct proteins and cause the paralytic disease botulism. These toxins are the most poisonous substances known to humans and are potential bioweapon agents. Therefore, it is necessary to develop highly sensitive assays for the detection of BoNTs in both clinical and environmental samples. In the current study, we have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based protein antibody microarray for the sensitive and simultaneous detection of BoNT serotypes A, B, C, D, E, and F. With engineered high-affinity antibodies, the BoNT assays have sensitivities in buffer ranging from 1.3fM (0.2pg/ml) to 14.7fM (2.2pg/ml). Using clinical and food matrices (serum and milk), the microarray is capable of detecting BoNT serotypes A to F to similar levels as in standard buffer. Cross-reactivity between assays for individual serotype was also analyzed. These simultaneous, rapid, and sensitive assays have the potential to measure botulinum toxins in a high-throughput manner in complex clinical, food, and environmental samples.

Asymmetric type F botulism with cranial nerve demyelination.

We report a case of type F botulism in a patient with bilateral but asymmetric neurologic deficits. Cranial nerve demyelination was found during autopsy. Bilateral, asymmetric clinical signs, although rare, do not rule out botulism. Demyelination of cranial nerves might be underrecognized during autopsy of botulism patients.

Molecular immune recognition of botulinum neurotoxin B. The light chain regions that bind human blocking antibodies from toxin-treated cervical dystonia patients. Antigenic structure of the entire BoNT/B molecule.

We recently mapped the regions on the heavy (H) chain of botulinum neurotoxin, type B (BoNT/B) recognized by blocking antibodies (Abs) from cervical dystonia (CD) patients who develop immunoresistance during toxin treatment. Since blocking could also be effected by Abs directed against regions on the light (L) chain, we have mapped here the L chain, using the same 30 CD antisera. We synthesized, purified and characterized 32 19-residue L chain peptides that overlapped successively by 5 residues (peptide L32 overlapped with peptide N1 of the H chain by 12 residues). In a given patient, Abs against the L chain seemed less intense than those against H chain. Most sera recognized a limited set of L chain peptides. The levels of Abs against a given region varied with the patient, consistent with immune responses to each epitope being under separate MHC control. The peptides most frequently recognized were: L13, by 30 of 30 antisera (100%); L22, by 23 of 30 (76.67%); L19, by 15 of 30 (50.00%); L26, by 11 of 30 (36.70%); and L14, by 12 of 30 (40.00%). The activity of L14 probably derives from its overlap with L13. The levels of Ab binding decreased in the following order: L13 (residues 169-187), L22 (295-313), L19 (253-271), and L26 (351-369). Peptides L12 (155-173), L18 (239-257), L15 (197-215), L1 (1-19) and L23 (309-327) exhibited very low Ab binding. The remaining peptides had little or no Ab-binding activity. The antigenic regions are analyzed in terms of their three-dimensional locations and the enzyme active site. With the previous localization of the antigenic regions on the BoNT/B H chain, the human Ab recognition of the entire BoNT/B molecule is presented and compared to the recognition of BoNT/A by human blocking Abs.

Quantification of botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B from serum using mass spectrometry.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the deadliest agents known. Previously, we reported an endopeptidase activity based method (Endopep-MS) that detects and differentiates BoNT serotypes A-G. This method uses serotype specific monoclonal antibodies and the specific enzymatic activity of BoNT against peptide substrates which mimic the toxin's natural target. Cleavage products from the reaction are detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We have now developed a multiple reaction monitoring method to quantify the biological activity of BoNT serotypes A (BoNT/A) and B (BoNT/B) present in 0.5 mL of serum using electrospray mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification for each serotype is 1 mouse intraperitoneal lethal dose (MIPLD(50)) corresponding to 31 pg of BoNT/A and 15 pg of BoNT/B in this study. This method was applied to serum from rhesus macaques with inhalational botulism following exposure to BoNT/B, showing a maximum activity of 6.0 MIPLD(50)/mL in surviving animals and 653.6 MIPLD(50)/mL in animals that died in the study. The method detects BoNT/B in serum 2-5 h after exposure and up to 14 days. This is the first report of a quantitative method with sufficient sensitivity, selectivity, and low sample size requirements to measure circulating BoNT activity at multiple times during the course of botulism.

In vitro detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxin type e activity in avian blood.

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype E (BoNT/E) outbreaks in the Great Lakes region cause large annual avian mortality events, with an estimated 17,000 bird deaths reported in 2007 alone. During an outbreak investigation, blood collected from bird carcasses is tested for the presence of BoNT/E using the mouse lethality assay. While sensitive, this method is labor-intensive and low throughput and can take up to 7 days to complete. We developed a rapid and sensitive in vitro assay, the BoTest Matrix E assay, that combines immunoprecipitation with high-affinity endopeptidase activity detection by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to rapidly quantify BoNT/E activity in avian blood with detection limits comparable to those of the mouse lethality assay. On the basis of the analysis of archived blood samples (n = 87) collected from bird carcasses during avian mortality investigations, BoTest Matrix E detected picomolar quantities of BoNT/E following a 2-h incubation and femtomolar quantities of BoNT/E following extended incubation (24 h) with 100% diagnostic specificity and 91% diagnostic sensitivity.

Epidemiology of foodborne botulism in Romania 1980-2009.

In 2007, Romania, the largest southeastern European country, reported the highest notification rate of botulism cases in the European Union (0.18 per 100,000 inhabitants), which was 18 times higher than the reported rate in the United States (0.01 per 100,000 inhabitants). This report aims to analyze published and unpublished surveillance data on foodborne botulism in Romania from 1980 to 2009 in the context of political and economical changes that occurred in the former communist countries. The mean annual incidence rate of botulism cases was significantly lower during the late communist period, 1980-1989 (0.06±0.03 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), than during the years 1990-1999 (0.1±0.04 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, p=0.01) and 2000-2009 (0.12±0.04 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, p<0.01). The highest incidence rates were registered in 1998 and 2007 (0.18 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), whereas the lowest incidence rate was registered in 1983 (0.02 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). The disease was usually associated with the consumption of home prepared meat products (mainly raw sausages, smoked-dried meat). Most of the laboratory-confirmed cases tested positive for type B toxin (99%). During 2007-2009, the incidence was particularly high in northwestern and western Romania (0.5 and 0.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively). The fatality rate was 60% before 1995 and decreased to 12.2±8.5% during 1999-2009. The general ascending trend of infection rates throughout the period studied demonstrates the need for the implementation of correct public health and educational measures to fully prevent this severe disease.

A label-free biosensor assay for botulinum neurotoxin B in food and human serum.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are among the most toxic substances known. Surveillance and diagnostics require methods for rapid detection of BoNTs in complex media such as foodstuffs and human serum. We have developed in vitro assays to specifically detect the protease activity of botulinum neurotoxin B (BoNT/B) on a time scale of minutes. Cleavage of the BoNT/B substrate VAMP2, a membrane SNARE protein associated with synaptic vesicles, was monitored using real-time surface plasmon resonance to measure vesicle capture by specific antibodies coupled to microchips. The assay is functional in low-ionic-strength buffers and stable over a wide range of pH values (5.5-9.0). Endoproteolytic cleavage of VAMP2 was detected in 10 min with 2 pM native BoNT/B holotoxin. Contamination of liquid food products such as carrot juice, apple juice, and milk with low picomolar amounts of BoNT/B was revealed within 3h. BoNT/B activity was detected in sera from patients with type B botulism but not in healthy controls or patients with other neurological diseases. This robust, sensitive, and rapid protein chip assay is appropriate for monitoring BoNT/B in food products and diagnostic tests for type B botulism and could replace the current in vivo mouse bioassay.