Study of the presence of the spores of Clostridium botulinum in honey in Brazil

The isolation of Clostridium botulinum from honey samples is described. Bot ulism is characterized as an intoxication provoked by ingestion of contamin ated foods with this toxin. Infant botulism happens by the ingestion of spo res of C. botulinum together with food that in special conditions of the in testinal tract, such as those present in babies of less than 1 year old, wi ll allow the germination and colonization of the intestine with production and absorption of botulinic toxin. The samples were subjected to dilution a nd to a thermal shock and cultivated in modified CMM (Difco). Cultures were subjected to Gram smears and toxicity teals in mice. The toxic cultures we re purified in RFCA (Oxoid) plates and incubated in anaerobic jars. Positiv e samples were typed using the mouse assay neutralization test. From the 85 honey samples analyzed, six were positive for C. botulinum (7.06%), and id entified as producers of type A, B, and D toxins. (C) 1999 Federation of Eu ropean Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All ri ghts reserved.