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C. botulinum is a soil bacterium. The spores can survive in most environments and are very hard to kill. They can survive the temperature of boiling water at sea level, thus many foods are canned with a pressurized boil that achieves even higher temperatures, sufficient to kill the spores.
Clostridium botulinum is a ubiquitous soil-dwelling bacterium. Many infant botulism patients have been demonstrated to live near a construction site or an area of soil disturbance. [7] Infant botulism has been reported in 49 of 50 US states (all save for Rhode Island), [4] and cases have been recognized in 26 countries on five continents. [8]
Tyndallization is a process from the nineteenth century for sterilizing substances, usually food, named after its inventor John Tyndall, that can be used to kill heat-resistant endospores. Although now considered dated, it is still occasionally used. [citation needed]
The main species responsible for disease in humans are: [15] Clostridium botulinum can produce botulinum toxin in food or wounds and can cause botulism. This same toxin is known as Botox and is used in cosmetic surgery to paralyze facial muscles to reduce the signs of aging; it also has numerous other therapeutic uses.
The body is continually exposed to many species of bacteria, including beneficial commensals, which grow on the skin and mucous membranes, and saprophytes, which grow mainly in the soil and in decaying matter. The blood and tissue fluids contain nutrients sufficient to sustain the growth of many bacteria.
While tetanus toxin is produced from Clostridium tetani, a spore forming bacteria found in soil, Tetanus is a paralytic disease that is global and commonly affects newborns as well as non-immunized individuals. Tetanus enters the body of organisms through wounds or skin breaks and can be found in manure, soil, and dust.
Endospores are commonly found in soil and water, where they may survive for long periods of time. A variety of different microorganisms form "spores" or "cysts", but the endospores of low G+C gram-positive bacteria are by far the most resistant to harsh conditions. [3]
A few additional screening questions about the patient's work and home environment, in addition to a typical health questionnaire, can indicate whether there was a potential pesticide poisoning. [24] If one is regularly using carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, it is important to obtain a baseline cholinesterase test.