Question

Madeline, a 34 year old female, was transferred via ambulance to the hospital at 2 am. She had called911 when she awoke having difficulty swallowing. She told the dispatcher that she’d felt dizzy andconfused the previous day for hours, and had experiences some double vision. Upon hospital admission she was weak and drowsy. Palpitation of her lymph nodes revealed no signs of swelling, and her tonsils were not swollen either. She had no history of flu-like illness. Her last meal was lunch at work the previous day, consisting of a microwave burrito, commercially prepared yogurt with strawberries, and tortilla chips with home-canned salsa. Her condition worsened, requiring 6 weeks of supportive care, including a ventilator. Culture of her stool did not reveal any unusual bacteria.

Which organism is affecting this patient? Explain your reasoning.

What is this disease called?

What is the likely source of infection?

What toxins are produced by this organism and how do they cause the signs and symptoms seen in this patient?

Answer 1

Which organism is affecting this patient? Explain your reasoning.

Clostridium Botulinum spores, an anaerobe gram-positive bacterium is affecting the patient. It is present in animals, vegetables, and especially in home-canned foods.

What is this disease called?

The disease called Botulism poisoning, a foodborne illness caused by the presence of toxin in the food.

What is the likely source of infection?

The person consumed home-canned food. The spores present in the food transmits to the patient through the consumption of food. The ingested spores may colonize in the intestinal tract and produce toxin. This leads to the symptoms of botulism poisoning.

What toxins are produced by this organism and how do they cause the signs and symptoms seen in this patient?

Clostridium botulinum toxin is produced by this organism. It is a neurotoxin that affects the neurotransmitters in the head and neck and leads to the symptoms of dizziness, confusion, difficulty in swallowing, drowsy and weak. Then the toxin absorbed into the bloodstream and causes respiratory distress. So the patient needs ventilator support.