Prevalence of Clostridium botulinum type E and coexistence of C. botulinum nonproteolytic type B in the river soil of Japan.
Soil samples from 98 sites in the whole systems of four rivers in Japan were examined for the presence of Clostridium botulinum. Type E organism was prevalently shown throughout the whole river systems including upper part; detection rates of type E toxin in soil culture ranged from 33 to 82%. This type was also detected in soil of adjacent mountainous district. Type B and C toxins were detected at 7% and 9% of the sites examined, respectively. C. botulinum type E and nonproteolytic type B strains were isolated from enrichment cultures of soil samples. These results suggest that the terrestrial origin of type E organism would be considered as one of the reasons for the high incidence of this organism in the sea areas, and prove that C. botulinum nonproteolytic type B exists in the soil of Japan.
Yamakawa
K
K
Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.
Nakamura
S
S
D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007564:Japan; D015995:Prevalence; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology
D001905:Botulinum Toxins