Detection of Clostridium botulinum in cases of wound botulism
Wound botulism, produced by the infection of wounds with Clostridium botulinum and the elaboration of toxin in vivo after the bacterium grows in the wound.
Test available and recommended for wound botulism
- Culture test, followed by inoculation with mice with culture filtration.
- In case of being positive, confirmation test by neutralization and identification of the type of toxin.
Sample required
- Exudate of wounds in cases of suspected "wound botulism", to perform the culture and detection of the toxin in the culture filtrate by inoculation to mice. If Clostridium botulinum could have been inactivated due to the circumstances of the transport of the sample in aerobiosis, a molecular test could be carried out to detect the presence of Clostridium botulinum genes, and if positive, identify the type by detecting the genes corresponding to each type of toxin.
Schedule for results
- We cannot give exact times. If only the detection of the toxin in mice is carried out and is negative, the report would be in a maximum of one week. If a culture of the sample is carried out, and subsequently the detection of the toxin by inoculating culture filtrates into batches of mice, the time would be two weeks. If any of these mouse inoculation tests, with a sample extract or with the enrichment culture filtrate, are positive, the neutralization test must be performed on mice to confirm that it is botulinum toxin and to identify its type by neutralization tests, which take 15 days to complete.
- Real-time PCR tests take 3 or 4 working days to complete.
Sample storage and shipping conditions
- Exudate of wounds in cases of suspected "wound botulism", to perform the culture and detection of the toxin in the culture filtrate by inoculation to mice. If Clostridium botulinum could have been inactivated due to the circumstances of the transport of the sample in aerobiosis, a molecular test could be carried out to detect the presence of Clostridium botulinum genes, and if positive, identify the type by detecting the genes corresponding to each type of toxin.
Form with product characteristics and chosen test(s)
- If you request that tests be carried out, you must send us with the product the specific request form that we have attached, indicating the characteristics of the product and the chosen tests that you wish to be carried out on the sample sent.