Molecular characterization of Clostridium botulinum isolates from foodborne outbreaks in Thailand, 2010.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Thailand has had several foodborne outbreaks of botulism, one of the biggest being in 2006 when laboratory investigations identified the etiologic agent as Clostridium botulinum type A. Identification of the etiologic agent from outbreak samples is laborious using conventional microbiological methods and the neurotoxin mouse bioassay. Advances in molecular techniques have added enormous information regarding the etiology of outbreaks and characterization of isolates. We applied these methods in three outbreaks of botulism in Thailand in 2010.

Methodology/principal findings

A total of 19 cases were involved (seven each in Lampang and Saraburi and five in Maehongson provinces). The first outbreak in Lampang province in April 2010 was associated with C. botulinum typ

SUBMITTER: Wangroongsarb P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3903786 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature