Premium
Clostridium botulinum Type C in Healthy Swine in Japan
Author(s) -
Yamakawa Kiyotaka,
Kamiya Shigeru,
Yoshimura Kiyoto,
Nakamura Shinichi
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1992.tb01639.x
Subject(s) - clostridium botulinum , toxin , biology , botulinum toxin , paresis , feces , clostridiaceae , botulism , etiology , microbiology and biotechnology , veterinary medicine , medicine , surgery , neuroscience
Healthy cattle and swine bred in a district of Japan were examined for the presence of Clostridium botulinum in their liver. Liver specimens were cultivated in chopped meat‐glucose medium and the cultures were examined for botulinum toxin. In cattle, none of the cultures of 100 liver specimens yielded the toxin. In swine, however, C 1 or C 2 toxin was demonstrated in 8 of 100 liver specimens from 36 farms. One of the five farms where the carrier‐state swine were present was surveyed for about 2 years to determine whether the carrier‐state was transient or resident. C. botulinum type C was found in swine livers and feces, and environmental specimens at extremely high rates during the surveillances, with 76% of specimens yielding botulinum toxin following the culture. These data suggest that it is not uncommon for healthy swine to carry C. botulinum type C in the liver and that there is a close relationship between C. botulinum carrier‐state in swine and the presence of this organism in their raising environments. In 20 cattle and 20 swine suffering from parturient paresis of unknown etiology no evidence for involvement of C. botulinum type C was obtained.