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The Journal of the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology |
Biblioraphy Information
| ArticleTitle |
A Case of Infant Botulism by Clostridium botulinum Type A |
| Language |
J |
| AuthorList |
Yasushi Kibe1), Yuiko Morokuma1), Makiko Kiyosuke1), Masafumi Sanefuji2), Tomomi Mochimaru1), Yuzo Kayamori1), Toshiro Hara2), Dongchon Kang1),3) |
| Affiliation |
1) Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital
2) Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University Hospital
3) Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences |
| Publication |
J.J.C.M.: 22 (3), 221-226, 2012 |
| Received |
March 22, 2012 |
| Accepted |
June 2, 2012 |
| Abstract |
Infant botulism is a neuromuscular paralysis caused by Clostridium botulinum. In Japan, only 24 cases have been reported so far. Here we report a case of infant botulism by C. botulinum type A which was difficult to be correctly di-agnosed. A 9-month-old girl was admitted to a local hospital with a fever, poor sucking, and occasional events of un-consciousness. She was initially diagnosed acute encephalopathy and treated with steroid pulse therapy without improvement. After transferred to our hospital, her respiratory status and limb palsy got worse, the symptoms of which suggested infant botulism. Then, we cultured the patient feces in anaerobic conditions to isolate C. botulinum. Two days later, gram positive spore-forming bacilli were detected but identified as C. difficile with a RapID ANA kit. Because the colony morphology and the clinical symptoms were atypical as C. difficile, the bacteria were referred to a specialized agency and were revealed to be C. botulinum. Generally, isolation and identification of C. botulinum is very difficult with commercially available kits. Clinical information from physicians was critically important for us to suspect C. botulinum and diagnose promptly and accurately. |
| Keywords |
Clostridium botulinum |
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