Botulism News and Research

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Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum''. The toxin enters the body in one of four ways: by colonization of the digestive tract by the bacterium in children (infant botulism) or adults (adult intestinal toxemia), by ingestion of toxin from foodstuffs (foodborne botulism) or by contamination of a wound by the bacterium (wound botulism).

New discovery could expand the possibilities for medical use of Botox

PSI researchers have discovered a surprising trick that could expand the possibilities for medical use of botulinun toxin A1, better known under the name Botox, as an active agent.

18 Dec 2023

Botulism strikes during Rugby World Cup: How sardines benched eight fans in Bordeaux

During the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Bordeaux, France, a food-borne botulism outbreak affected eight people who consumed home-canned sardines at the same restaurant. The report emphasizes the importance of quick diagnosis and public health notifications to control large-scale outbreaks.

17 Oct 2023

Dangerous weight loss trend triggers Iatrogenic botulism outbreak in Europe

Researchers study documents relevant laboratory and epidemiological data on travel-associated iatrogenic botulism outbreaks in Europe.

11 Jun 2023

Study findings could be harnessed to engineer new botulinum neurotoxin E variants

A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have revealed the first crystal structures of the receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin E (BoNT/E) in complex with its human neuronal receptors, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A).

27 Apr 2023

Researchers investigate a drug used for neuromuscular weakness as potential treatment for botulism

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) researchers are investigating a drug used to treat neuromuscular weakness as a potential treatment for botulism, a rare but serious disease.

25 Jul 2022

New discovery about nature’s ‘high-end machinery’ could have big implications for biology

Working with tiny bacteria, Michigan State University researchers led by Lee Kroos have made a discovery that could have big implications for biology.

26 Apr 2022

Researchers develop mathematical model to prevent botulism

Food producers can use a mathematical model developed at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, to ensure their products do not cause botulism. It is the most comprehensive model of its kind.

27 May 2021

New approach to tame botulinum toxin for drug delivery

While rare, botulism can cause paralysis and is potentially fatal. It is caused by nerve-damaging toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum -- the most potent toxins known.

8 Jan 2021

CytoDel successfully delivers neuronal antibody in animal models of botulism

CytoDel, Inc., a privately-held corporation, today announces the publication of preclinical data on the Company's lead product, Cyto-111, in the peer-reviewed journal, Science Translational Medicine. The complete text of the article titled, "Neuronal Delivery of Antibodies has Therapeutic Effects in Animal Models of Botulism," can be found here.

7 Jan 2021

New approach produces strong antidotal efficacy in treating lethal botulism in animals

Related to new research published in the January issue of Science Translational Medicine, Patrick McNutt, PhD, of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, was part of the research team that demonstrated a new "Trojan horse" approach that produces strong antidotal efficacy in treating lethal botulism in mice, guinea pigs and rhesus macaque monkeys.

7 Jan 2021

Non-toxic versions of botulism toxins can deliver therapeutic antibodies to treat botulism

Taking advantage of the chemical properties of botulism toxins, two teams of researchers have fashioned non-toxic versions of these compounds that can deliver therapeutic antibodies to treat botulism, a potentially fatal disease with few approved treatments.

6 Jan 2021

Researchers decipher deadly bacterial infection in pigs

The Clostridium perfringens bacterium is part of the large Clostridium genus which can cause various fatal illnesses in animals and humans.

4 Jun 2020

COVID survivors’ blood plasma is a sought-after new commodity

Diana Berrent learned she had tested positive for COVID-19 on a Wednesday in mid-March. Within a day, she had received 30 emails from people urging her to donate blood.

11 May 2020

Bifunctional nanobodies with antitoxin potencies could protect against botulinum neurotoxins

New study reveals potential for developing novel antibody-based antitoxins against botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), including the most commonly used, yet most toxic one, Botox.

27 Feb 2020

People who eat bushmeat may be at risk of contracting life-threatening diseases

People who eat wildebeests, wart hogs and other wild African animals may be at risk for contracting potentially life-threatening diseases, according to an international team of researchers.

2 Dec 2019

Megaphages detected in the intestinal tract of humans who eat high-fiber, low-fat diet

Viruses plague bacteria just as viruses like influenza plague humans. Some of the largest of these so-called bacteriophages have now been found in the human gut, where they periodically devastate bacteria just as seasonal outbreaks of flu lay humans low, according to a new study led by University of California, Berkeley, scientists.

29 Jan 2019

New resource outlines neurologic effects and treatment options for biologic, chemical attacks

The neurologic effects and treatment options for exposure to biologic and chemical agents are outlined in a newly published article by neurologists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine who collaborated on the article with military physicians.

26 Oct 2018

Eating honey can reduce serious injuries in children who swallowed button battery, shows study

A team of ear, nose, and throat specialists has demonstrated that eating honey after swallowing a button battery has the potential to reduce serious injuries in small children.

11 Jun 2018

Scientists decipher workings of little-understood bacterial riboswitch

In a discovery that points to potential new antibiotic medicines, scientists from Rice University and the University of Michigan have deciphered the workings of a common but little-understood bacterial switch that cuts off protein production before it begins.

22 May 2018

Researchers discover new source of botulinum neurotoxin

A new source of the botulinum neurotoxin was discovered by Canadian and American scientists in a strain of animal gut bacteria known as Enterococcus faecium.

27 Jan 2018