Detection of preformed type A botulinal toxin in hash brown potatoes by using the mouse bioasssay and a modified ELISA test

A foodborne illness caused by type A toxin-producing Clostridium botulinum was investigated by using the standard mouse bioassay and a rapid invitro t est for toxin detection. The patient, who consumed improperly stored hash b rown potatoes that contained the preformed toxin, was diagnosed with type A botulism. C. botulinum type A toxin was detected in the hash brown potatoe s as well as in the tryptone-peptone-glucose-yeast extract (TPGY) medium su bcultures of this food using the mouse bioassay and an amplified ELISA tech nique. The mouse bioassay revealed preformed toxin at 10 000 minimum lethal dose (MLD)/g uncooked product and the amplified ELISA an equivalent 50 000 MLD/g. The cultural toxin from the uncooked product killed mice at the 10( 6) dilution and a modification of the ELISA procedure was positive at the 1 0(3) dilution. Cooked food obtained from the consumer's waste can contained 100 MLD/g and the ELISA was also positive at the same dilution of the prod uct. The culture of the cooked product obtained from the waste can was leth al for mice at the 10(7) dilution and positive using the modified ELISA at the 10(4) dilution. The unmodified amplified ELISA method indicated a toxin level of approximately 1 ng/mL (equivalent to 5 x 10(5) MLD/mL) in diluted culture fluid from the uncooked food and the culture of cooked food obtain ed from the waste can. The hash brown potatoes were negative for types B, E , and F preformed and cultural botulinal toxins using both assays.