Botulin Toxin: A Weapon in Terrorism

Extract

Clostridium botulinum, the causative agent of botulism is an anaerobic, spore forming gram-positive bacillus. C. botulinum causes three types of botulism; foodborne botulism, wound botulism, and infant botulism. Most strains of the bacterium produce a potent, muscle-paralyzing neurotoxin. Respiratory failure secondary to paralysis of the respiratory muscles can lead to death unless appropriate therapy is promptly initiated. Due to the severity and potency of this neurotoxin, its importance as a biological weapon is of major concern to public health officials.

Clostridium botulinum, the causative agent of botulism, is an obligate anaerobic, gram-positive bacillus occurring singly or in pairs. It produces grey-white colonies, which are usually beta-hemolytic on anaerobic blood agar. The organism is motile and lipase positive on egg yolk agar.^1-3 It is ubiquitous in nature found in soil, water, and the environment, and therefore is not considered part of normal human flora. C. botulinum produces spores (usually subterminal) that can survive in a dormant state for long periods of time until favorable environmental conditions return.^1,3,4 The bacterium itself is usually harmless except in infants and immunocompromised individuals.⁵ Under anaerobic conditions however, the bacterium can produce a lethal neurotoxin, which is released upon cell lyses.^3,5,6 These spores are very resistant to heat and chemicals and can survive for several hours at temperatures of 100 °C. In order to kill the spore, exposure to moist heat at 120 °C is required.⁷

In the U.S., botulism has been associated with improperly home canned foods, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. There…

ABBREVIATIONS: BSL = biosafety levels; CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; kDa = kilodalton; MW = molecular weight; PNS = peripheral nervous system.