Isolation and characterisation of neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum from soil in China

Soil specimens collected from a site around the home of patients with food- borne type E botulism probably caused by neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyric um in Guanyun, Jiangsu province, China, were examined for the presence of n eurotoxigenic C, butyricum, Five lakeside sites of Weishan lake, in an area near to the sites where the type E botulism outbreaks caused by neurotoxig enic C, butyricum occurred were also surveyed. Type E toxin-producing C. bu tyricum was isolated from soil from four sites including the site in Guanyu n, Polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrated the presence of the type E toxin gene in all the toxigenic isolates. The biochemical properties of the isolates from the Guanyun soil and the lakeside soil were identical except for inulin fermentation and starch hydrolysis properties. These results in dicate that neurotoxigenic C, butyricum has its principal habitat in soil.