Fatal outbreak of botulism in Greenland.
Botulism commonly occurs when the anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum, under suitable conditions, produces botulinum neurotoxins. Named A-F, these toxins are the immediate causative agent of the clinical symptoms of symmetrical, descending neurological deficits, including respiratory muscle paralysis. We present five cases of foodborne botulism occurring in Greenland, two with fatal outcome, caused by ingestion of tradionally preserved eider fowl. In the cases of the survivors, antitoxin and supportive care, including mechanical ventilation, were administered. In these cases recovery was complete. Microbiological assays, including toxin neutralization bioassay, demonstrated the presence of neurotoxin E in two survivors. The third survivor was shown by PCR to have the BoNT type E gene in faeces. This is the first report of cases of fatal botulism in Greenland. It underscores the importance of prompt coordinated case management effort in a geographically isolated area such as Greenland.
['Hammer|Tóra Hedinsdottir|TH|', 'Jespersen|Sanne|S|', 'Kanstrup|Jakob|J|', 'Ballegaard|Vibe Cecilie|VC|', 'Kjerulf|Anne|A|', 'Gelvan|Allan|A|']
D000328:Adult D000818:Animals D001717:Birds D001904:Botulinum Antitoxin D001905:Botulinum Toxins D001906:Botulism D002675:Child, Preschool D003014:Clostridium botulinum D004196:Disease Outbreaks D017809:Fatal Outcome D005243:Feces D005260:Female D005516:Food Microbiology D006116:Greenland D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction D012121:Respiration, Artificial
Botulism Clostridium botulinum botulinum neurotoxin antitoxin