Editing Clostridium botulinum (section)

==== Toxin types in disease ====
Only [[botulinum toxin]] types A, B, E, F and H (FA) cause disease in humans.  Types A, B, and E <!--or F?--> are associated with food-borne illness, while type E <!--or F?--> is specifically associated with fish products. Type C produces limber-neck in birds and type D causes botulism in other mammals.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Meurens F, Carlin F, Federighi M, Filippitzi ME, Fournier M, Fravalo P, Ganière JP, Grisot L, Guillier L, Hilaire D, Kooh P, Le Bouquin-Leneveu S, Le Maréchal C, Mazuet C, Morvan H, Petit K, Vaillancourt JP, Woudstra C | title = ''Clostridium botulinum'' type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update | journal = Frontiers in Microbiology | volume = 13 | pages = 1099184 | date = 2023-01-05 | pmid = 36687640 | pmc = 9849819 | doi = 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099184 | doi-access = free }}</ref>  No disease is associated with type G.<ref>(2013). Chapter 11. Spore-Forming Gram-Positive Bacilli: ''Bacillus'' and ''Clostridium'' Species. In Brooks G.F., Carroll K.C., Butel J.S., Morse S.A., Mietzner T.A. (Eds), ''Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology'', 26th ed. {{ISBN|978-0-07-179031-4}}</ref>  The "gold standard" for determining toxin type is a mouse bioassay, but the genes for types A, B, E, and F can now be readily differentiated using [[quantitative PCR]].<ref name="Satterfield, B. A. 2010">{{cite journal | vauthors = Satterfield BA, Stewart AF, Lew CS, Pickett DO, Cohen MN, Moore EA, Luedtke PF, O'Neill KL, Robison RA | title = A quadruplex real-time PCR assay for rapid detection and differentiation of the Clostridium botulinum toxin genes A, B, E and F | journal = Journal of Medical Microbiology | volume = 59 | issue = Pt 1 | pages = 55–64 | date = January 2010 | pmid = 19779029 | doi = 10.1099/jmm.0.012567-0 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Type "H" is in fact a recombinant toxin from types A and F. It can be neutralized by type A antitoxin and no longer is considered a distinct type.<ref name="pmid26068781">{{cite journal | vauthors = Maslanka SE, Lúquez C, Dykes JK, Tepp WH, Pier CL, Pellett S, Raphael BH, Kalb SR, Barr JR, Rao A, Johnson EA | title = A Novel Botulinum Neurotoxin, Previously Reported as Serotype H, Has a Hybrid-Like Structure With Regions of Similarity to the Structures of Serotypes A and F and Is Neutralized With Serotype A Antitoxin | journal = The Journal of Infectious Diseases | volume = 213 | issue = 3 | pages = 379–385 | date = February 2016 | pmid = 26068781 | pmc = 4704661 | doi = 10.1093/infdis/jiv327 }}</ref>

A few strains from organisms genetically identified as other ''Clostridium'' species have caused human botulism: ''C. butyricum'' has produced type E toxin<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Aureli P, Fenicia L, Pasolini B, Gianfranceschi M, McCroskey LM, Hatheway CL | title = Two cases of type E infant botulism caused by neurotoxigenic Clostridium butyricum in Italy | journal = The Journal of Infectious Diseases | volume = 154 | issue = 2 | pages = 207–211 | date = August 1986 | pmid = 3722863 | doi = 10.1093/infdis/154.2.207 }}</ref> and ''C. baratii'' had produced type F toxin.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hall JD, McCroskey LM, Pincomb BJ, Hatheway CL | title = Isolation of an organism resembling Clostridium barati which produces type F botulinal toxin from an infant with botulism | journal = Journal of Clinical Microbiology | volume = 21 | issue = 4 | pages = 654–655 | date = April 1985 | pmid = 3988908 | pmc = 271744 | doi = 10.1128/JCM.21.4.654-655.1985 }}</ref> The ability of ''C. botulinum'' to naturally transfer neurotoxin genes to other clostridia is concerning, especially in the [[food industry]], where preservation systems are designed to destroy or inhibit only ''C. botulinum'' but not other ''Clostridium'' species.<ref name="Hill" />