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 report identifies over 40 infectious agents that pose significant human health problems in the United States or abroad

Vaccines have helped eradicate and tame some of history's worst infectious diseases, but there are many more diseases out there that vaccines can help overcome. The challenges society needs to confront to unlock the future promise of vaccines against the plagues of the 21st century are the focus of a new report by the American Academy of Microbiology.

9 Oct 2005

Clostridium botulinum exposed

A discovery by Institute of Food Research (IFR) scientists is set to improve the food industry’s ability to predict foodborne botulism.

28 Sep 2005

Online education program improved physicians' knowledge about the diagnosis and management of diseases caused by bioterrorism

In the event of a biologic attack, physicians will be first responders and represent the front line of defense, but little is known about the ability of physicians to appropriately diagnose and treat patients infected with bioterrorism agents, according to background information in the article.

27 Sep 2005

Botox helps explain possible causes of nerve diseases

Botox, used by Hollywood stars to smooth out facial wrinkles, is playing an important role in UQ research to understand how nerve cells communicate with each other.

22 Sep 2005

Another use for Botox - enlarged prostate

Botox, appears to alter specific cellular processes that contribute to prostate enlargement according to new study results presented by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan at the International Continence Society annual meeting in Montreal.

31 Aug 2005

It's fright time again! - how to poison the country's milk

Despite fierce opposition, the National Academy of Sciences has published a report which says the U.S. milk supply is vulnerable to being poisoned with botulinum toxin.

29 Jun 2005

Tetanus toxin may help fight depression, anxiety, anorexia and Parkinson's

A team of researchers from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Institute of Neuroscience at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has discovered that tetanus toxin, which causes tetanus, could be extremely useful as a therapy against psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and anorexia, and to slow the progress of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

14 Jun 2005

Antibodies from tobacco plants protect against anthrax

Scientists have produced, in tobacco plants, human antibodies that could be used to treat anthrax exposure. They reported their findings at the 2005 American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Research Meeting.

23 Mar 2005

Fear of botulism as a bioterrorist weapon is to be reduced by British vaccine technology

Fear of botulism as a bioterrorist weapon is to be reduced, as the US government announces its support for a new British vaccine technology, which promises for the first time to provide an effective defence against botulism – the most deadly naturally occurring substance.

28 Feb 2005

FDA approves new smallpox vaccination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous (VIGIV) - the first intravenous human plasma-derived product available to treat certain rare complications of smallpox vaccination.

20 Feb 2005

Findings could lead to new knowledge that could speed the development of drugs to block botulism or tetanus toxins more rapidly

The first detailed structure of a botulism toxin attached to its target protein reveals that the toxin snakes the protein around itself — a sort of “reverse anaconda” — to recognize the receptor.

13 Dec 2004

Infections among injecting drug users are a growing public health concern in the UK

New figures published by the UK's Health Protection Agency show that infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) are a growing public health concern.

13 Oct 2004

Research shows C. botulinum uses SONO to detect nitric oxide

A deadly bacterium's defense against a mortal molecular enemy illuminates the origins and structure of a vital protein involved in human cell signaling, University of Texas Medical School scientists report in Science Express.

8 Oct 2004

Allow genomic information to be freely available on the internet

This week’s lead editorial in THE LANCET discusses the benefits and potential risks of allowing genomic information to be freely available on the internet

23 Sep 2004

Botox injections to treat children with cerebral palsy

Botox injections are best known for reducing wrinkles on the face. However, experts at Loyola University Health System are finding new ways to use the injections in children with cerebral palsy, with most benefit in patients who are younger than 5 years old.

12 Sep 2004

Botulism case associated with consumption of a salt-cured fish product

A 41 year old New Jersey resident was hospitalized on June 3, 2004 with a confirmed case of botulism.

15 Jul 2004

Possible new type of zoonose in England

A short item was considered by the UK Zoonoses Group on a nervous condition in a heifer which had suffered partial leg paralysis. It was initially diagnosed as suspected botulism.

9 Jun 2004

New device lab-on-a-chip sensor to detect milk contamination

Whitaker investigator David Beebe, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed a process to make on-demand, miniature sensors for a wide variety of poisons, including naturally occurring contaminants and intentionally introduced toxins.

15 May 2004

76 million people get sick in US, 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die from foodborne illness

Foodborne illnesses have a major public health impact in the United States. It is estimated that each year in the United States, 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die as a result of foodborne illnesses, primarily the very young, elderly, and the immunocompromised.

18 Apr 2004