ARS Writer Expands On New Tests For Botulism
We wrote in May about the new, faster tests that are in the works for detecting botulism. Sandy Miller Hays of the Agricultural Research Service picks up this subject in today's Everybody's Science. She writes:
Although cases of foodborne botulism are rare in the United States these days, they do still occur. Botulinum toxin occurs in seven different forms, known as serotypes A through G, although serotypes A and B are the culprits in about 90 percent of the foodborne botulism cases in the United States. (Botulism is the reason why your mother warned you to never, ever eat food from a can that’s dented, swollen or–heaven forbid–leaking.)
Botulinum is a protein that acts like a neurotoxin, interfering with the neurological system that otherwise transmits vital signals throughout your body. In particular, it can cut off normal messaging to muscles, causing paralysis. Worst-case scenario: The toxin paralyzes the muscles of your diaphragm and you die of suffocation.
Unfortunately, there is no federally approved vaccine against botulinum. An injection of horse antiserum can help remove the toxin from your bloodstream, but that treatment can cause serious side effects.
Its worth going to her site and reading the rest.
"For those that do not recall, in September 2006, three people living in Georgia developed food-borne botulism that was eventually traced to commercial carrot juice from a single bottle. Soon thereafter an additional case in Florida and two in Ontario, Canada surfaced. One of the 6 botulism patients died 90 days after illness onset. One year later, two others were still on ventilators. The remaining three were taken off ventilator support after 54, 90, and 129 days. Two survivors were at home, two were in rehabilitation facilities, and one was still hospitalized. All the patients had consumed carrot juice from the same manufacturer.
Dr. George Marble says 3 horses were already dead on April 10th and when he went to the ranch he found two more that weren't able to walk. Within two days, all twelve the of the rancher's horses were dead or euthanized. Almost all the horses suffered paralysis of the legs and tongue which are both classic signs of botulism. The vet says no other pastures were affected by the toxin.
“You know, it’s funny,” Vice President Joe Biden said. “Madame Speaker probably doesn’t want this publicized, but she has a secret BOTOX room inside the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. This way, in the event of a catastrophic shortage, she can still look like a 25-year old in an 85-year old’s body.” 
A new, improved test for detecting what's known as "serotype A" of the toxin has now been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) biologist Larry H. Stanker and colleagues at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif.
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reminded Canadians of the importance of food safety while home canning or home bottling fish and other seafood. And they left no doubt about to whom their message was directed. The government said:
Consumers who do home canning are advised to check with their state or county Extension Service to see if where tests can be conducted. Some local Extension Services offer the tests for free.
On July 7, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) learned that two siblings in Texas were critically ill with botulism and that their illnesses were likely acquired by eating contaminated food. Four days later on July 11, public health officials in Indiana reported to the CDC that a married couple in Indiana were suspected of having foodborne botulism. On July 17, CDC staff provided information regarding the production-dates and times to the FDA. The evidence strongly suggested that brands of Castleberry’s hot dog chili sauce were the common source of the four ill persons with botulism. By August 24, eight cases of botulism had been reported to the CDC. In addition to the Indiana couple, the mother of the children in Texas had developed symptoms of botulism, which brought the total number of Castleberry-associated cases in Texas to three. There were also three unrelated residents of Ohio who had developed botulism consuming Castleberry’s hot dog chili sauce in the week before symptom onsets. Botulinum toxin was identified in leftover chili sauce collected from the refrigerator belonging to one of the Ohio cases..png)
