European health authorities Warning of outbreak of botulism It is associated with an unsuccessful weight loss procedure carried out in Turkey aimed at paralyzing stomach muscles to curb appetite. So far, authorities have identified 67 cases, 53 in Turkey, 12 in Germany, 1 each in Austria and Switzerland.
Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum toxin produced by a bacterial species. Clostridium botulinum. there some forms of botulism, but in this outbreak, the cases are a form called iatrogenic botulism, which occurs when too much toxin is injected during a medical procedure. Associated with drooping eyes, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing. Outbreak cases range from mild to severe, with many people in intensive care. Reported by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
botulinum toxin One of the most toxic natural substances known; exact dose 1 nanogram per kilogram of body weight is the lethal doseNevertheless, it has been used for cosmetic purposes such as smoothing facial wrinkles. Purpose of treatmenttreatment, etc. overactive bladder and chronic migraine.
It is also used in the stomach for weight loss purposes, Research on this application is becoming Mixed in Effectiveness. idea The toxins paralyze the stomach muscles, slowing digestion and emptying the stomach faster. decreases. Injections are done using a tube-like device called an endoscope, equipped with a syringe that snakes through the mouth and throat and then injects the toxin directly into the stomach muscles.
outbreak
But too many botulism injections, like in Turkey, make things worse. European officials traced cases from Germany, Austria and Switzerland to a single clinic in Istanbul. Cases in Turkey are also linked to that clinic, with the exception of his three, who were traced to a private hospital in Izmir, Turkey. ECDC noted that a European patient coordinated a risky medical trip via her WhatsApp group.
In the past, such iatrogenic botulism clusters have been associated with counterfeit toxin products. Trending in Egypt in 2017. Last August, World Health Organization warns of counterfeit batches of botulinum toxin A product called Dysport. Defective products have been detected in several countries, including Turkey. But a Turkish investigation into the current outbreak found it involved a legally licensed product, although not approved for use in the stomach, he reports, ECDC. Turkish authorities have reportedly suspended medical procedures at both identified medical facilities and launched further investigations into the health care providers involved.
Botulism sufferers, on the other hand, face a long and harrowing road. Recovery can take weeks or months. In her 2017 outbreak associated with counterfeit goods, it took the patient 6 weeks to 12 weeks to fully recover. Because iatrogenic botulism is relatively rare, mortality is unknown. But foodborne botulism, caused by ingestion of toxin-contaminated, improperly stored or canned foods, has a fatality rate of 5-10%, he notes, ECDC.
antivenom hero
Treatment of botulism includes mechanical ventilation in case of respiratory failure and administration of an antitoxin called heptavalent botulinum antitoxin (HBAT) made from horses. HBAT contains antibodies from horses that have been immunized with minute doses of botulinum toxin.HBAT antibodies act to bind to presynaptic nerve endings while the toxin is in the blood before causing paralysis. It works by binding toxins to As such, antivenom can only prevent further paralysis. Paralysis that has already occurred cannot be reversed. Still, the current fatality rate is less than 10%, but before the development of antivenom, fatality rate was 50%according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Horses are often used for such antibody-based treatments. Because horses are big and have a lot of blood, they can collect a lot of antibodies (or other valuable proteins). In the United States, from its initial development in the 1970s to his 1990s, a single Thoroughbred named First Flight was the only source of botulism antivenom.
First Flight is a retired racehorse who reportedly previously worked briefly as a caisson horse at military funerals at the Arlington National Ceremony. Bolted in General’s CoffinIn 1978, at the age of 10, he was transferred to the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, where he became the nation’s only living factory producing antivenom for botulism. From the 1980s he retired from First Flight after donating about 16,000 liters of blood throughout the 1990s. He died at the young age of 31 in the paddock of natural causes at Fort Detrick. Halter and Reed will be held at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
