Antimicrobial Susceptibility of 260 Clostridium botulinum Type A, B, Ba, and Bf Strains and a Neurotoxigenic Clostridium baratii Type F Strain Isolated from California Infant Botulism Patients

Abstract

Infant botulism is an infectious intestinal toxemia that results from colonization of the infant large bowel by Clostridium botulinum (or rarely, by neurotoxigenic Clostridium baratii or Clostridium butyricum ), with subsequent intraintestinal production and absorption of botulinum neurotoxin that then produces flaccid paralysis. The disease is often initially misdiagnosed as suspected sepsis or meningitis, diagnoses that require prompt empirical antimicrobial therapy.