Clostridium Botulism

According to James Caya, a doctor who researched Clostridium botulinum in Arch Pathol Lab Med, mentioned that Botulism is a rare, yet deadly disease in the United States and mostly worldwide (Caya 653). Based from the World Health Organization, “Botulism is characterized by symmetrical, descending, flaccid paralysis of motor and autonomic nerves usually beginning with cranial nerves. It occurs when neuromuscular transmission is interrupted by a protein neurotoxin produced by the spore-forming, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum” (World Health Organization 5). Based from James Caya, he mentioned that the first outbreak of botulism happened in the southern Germany in 1700s, where 13 people consumed sausages that contained this bacterium.
Through Justinus Kerner in 1817, who provided a detailed research of Botulism.
Furthermore, it was through Emile van Ermengem in 1895 whom thoroughly investigated the bacterial agent and toxicologic mechanism of action responsible for botulism that happened during the outbreak in Ellezelles, Belgium. Based from Donald Emmeluth of the book Botulism, it is through the thorough investigation of van Ermengem, he determined that Bacillus botulinus or Clostridium botulinum was the causative agent of food poisoning. The organism’s name was then changed to Clostridium botulinum. Clostridrium Botulinum is described to be a strictly anaerobic gram-positive bacillus bacteria, which means that the bacteria is alive in the absence of oxygen. Moreover, this organism would form endospores when conditions for its growth and survival appear compromised
(Emmeluth 28).