Affiliations: Departamento de Patología, Universidad Nacional
de Cuyo, Centro Universitario, Mendoza, Argentina
Note: [] Correspondence: Rafael A. Fernández, M.D., Departamento de
Patología, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Centro Universitario, Parque
General San Martín S/N, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina. Tel.: +54 261 4494112;
E-mail: rfernand@fcm.uncu.edu.ar
Abstract: Infant botulism is the most common form of human botulism in some
countries including Argentina. However, its transmission has not been
completely elucidated. In Argentina, 366 laboratory-confirmed infant botulism
cases were reported between March 1982 and December 2005. The average annual
incidence was 2.2 per 100,000 live births. All 108 cases diagnosed in our
laboratory had botulinum toxin producing organisms in their feces, 96.3%
also had botulinum toxin in feces, and 69% had detectable botulinum toxin in
their serum. Biochemical tests showed uniformity among the botulinum
toxin-producing clostridia isolated from infant botulism cases and soil
samples. A positive relationship between presence of botulinum spores in soil
and illness incidence was observed in the Northeast and West regions but not in
the Central, South and Northwest regions. In the Northwest and Central regions,
there was a relatively high occurrence of botulinum spores in the soil but low
incidence of the disease. Type A botulinum toxin was detected in all infant
botulism cases and also it was the toxin type most prevalent in the soil.
Despite the presence of B and F types in the soil, there were no reports of
infant botulism cases by these types in Argentina between 1982 and 2005.
Keywords: Botulinum toxin, soil, infant botulism, C. botulinum
