scholarly journals An outbreak of foodborne botulism associated with contaminated hazelnut yoghurt

1990 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. O'Mahony ◽  
E. Mitchell ◽  
R. J. Gilbert ◽  
D. N. Hutchinson ◽  
N. T. Begg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
General Public ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Type B ◽  
Faecal Specimen ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Foodborne Botulism

SUMMARYThe largest recorded outbreak of foodborne botulism in the United Kingdom occurred in June 1989. A total of 27 patients was affected; one patient died. Twenty-five of the patients had eaten one brand of hazelnut yoghurt in the week before the onset of symptoms. This yoghurt contained hazelnut conserve sweetened with aspartame rather than sugar.Clostridium botulinumtype B toxin was detected in a blown can of hazelnut conserve, opened and unopened cartons of hazelnut yoghurt, and one faecal specimen.Cl. botulinumtype B was subsequently cultured from both opened and unopened cartons of the hazelnut yoghurt and from one faecal specimen. Investigations indicated that the processing of the conserve was inadequate to destroyCl. botulinumspores. Control measures included the cessation of all yoghurt production by the implicated producer, the withdrawal of the firm's yoghurts from sale, the recall of cans of the hazelnut conserve, and advice to the general public to avoid the consumption of all hazelnut yoghurts.

scholarly journals Botulism in the United Kingdom

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Brett
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Wound Botulism ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Foodborne Botulism

Clostridium botulinum is a spore forming bacterium that grows in the absence of oxygen and is responsible for three main epidemiological categories of disease: foodborne, infant, and wound botulism. Foodborne botulism is an intoxication caused by ingestio

Differentiation between Types and Strains of Clostridium botulinum by Riboprinting

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1347-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
GUY E. SKINNER ◽  
STEVEN M. GENDEL ◽  
GEOFFREY A. FINGERHUT ◽  
HAIM A. SOLOMON ◽  
JODIE ULASZEK
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Type B ◽  
Critical Control Point ◽  
Microbial Characterization ◽  
Automated Ribotyping ◽  
Degree Of Differentiation ◽  
Foodborne Botulism

The ability of automated ribotyping to differentiate between major types and individual strains of Clostridium botulinum was tested using the Qualicon Riboprinter Microbial Characterization System. Pure spores of C. botulinum type A, proteolytic type B, nonproteolytic type B, and type E strains were inoculated onto modified anaerobic egg yolk agar and incubated 24 h at 35°C. Plates were rinsed with buffer (2 mM Tris + 20 mM EDTA) to remove vegetative cells that were heated for 10 min at 80°C, treated with a lysing agent, and ribotyped in the Qualicon Riboprinter utilizing the enzyme EcoRI. Riboprint patterns were obtained for 30 strains of the four major types of C. botulinum most commonly involved in human foodborne botulism. Proteolytic strains yielded the best and most consistent results. Fifteen ribogroups were identified among the 31 strains tested. Interestingly, in two cases, a single ribogroup contained patterns from isolates belonging to evolutionarily distinct Clostridium lineages. This degree of differentiation between strains of C. botulinum may be useful in hazard analysis and identification, hazard analysis and critical control point monitoring and validation, environmental monitoring, and in inoculation studies.

scholarly journals Hepatitis in dialysis units in the United Kingdom: a Public Health Laboratory Service Survey

1981 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Polakoff
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Prospective Study ◽  
Type B ◽  
Single Patient ◽  
Hepatitis Viruses ◽  
Laboratory Service ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
A Prospective Study

SummaryA prospective study of hepatitis that began in 1968 and continues to include more than half the dialysis units in the United Kingdom shows that type B infection has been completely controlled in such units since the last outbreak ended in 1973. Though occasionally a single patient has developed hepatitis B surface antigenaemia in the course of dialysis or after transplantation, the infection has not spread to other patients or staff in the survey units.A detailed analysis of the results in 1974–75 shows clustering of patients with raised aminotransferase levels in about one-fifth of the units but, unlike past outbreaks of hepatitis B, these clusters are not accompanied by clinical hepatitis among staff. The possibility that some of the clusters are caused by hepatitis viruses other than type A or B is discussed. It is concluded that, when reliable tests for type non-A non-B infections become available, the continued existence of the survey will allow prompt assessment of any viral hepatitis problems that may still exist in UK units.

Incidence of Clostridium botulinum Type E in Fish Products in the United Kingdom

Nature ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 211 (5045) ◽  
pp. 205-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. CANN ◽  
BARBARA B. WILSON ◽  
J. M. SHEWAN ◽  
G. HOBBS
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Fish Products ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Botulinum Type ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum Type E
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