title: Infant botulism in Costa Rica: first report from Central America.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clostridium botulinum is known to cause descending paralysis in infants throughout the world.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subject of this study was a three-month-old Costa Rican boy who was hospitalized because of poor suction and feeding, hypotonia, and constipation. Clinical history and physical examination findings suggested infant botulism. Samples were sent to the Winnipeg Public Health Laboratory, where Clostridium botulinum toxin A was identified by PCR and culture from the stools, making this the first report of infant botulism in Central America.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although infant botulism is a known disease, the limitations in identifying it in Central America contributes to the misdiagnosis and under-reporting of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nacional de Niños de Costa Rica Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera, San José, Costa Rica. marcelahdm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-de Mezerville
authors.forename: Mariela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas-Solano
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Mata
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hernández-Con
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ulloa-Gutierrez
mesh_terms: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000235:genetics; D001906:Botulism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003364:Costa Rica; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A