Toxin Detection in Patients' Sera by Mass Spectrometry during Two Outbreaks of Type A Botulism in France

Christelle Mazuet (1) , Eric Ezan (2) , Hervé Volland (2) , Michel Robert Popoff (1) , François Becher (2)

1 Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines
2 IBITECS - Institut de Biologie et de Technologies de Saclay

In two outbreaks of food-borne botulism in France, Clostridium botulinum type A was isolated and characterized from incriminated foods. Botulinum neurotoxin type A was detected in the patients' sera by mouse bioassay and in vitro endopeptidase assay with an immunocapture step and identification of the cleavage products by mass spectrometry.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Bacteriology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Toxicology; Toxicology and food chain

Christelle Mazuet, Eric Ezan, Hervé Volland, Michel Robert Popoff, François Becher. Toxin Detection in Patients' Sera by Mass Spectrometry during Two Outbreaks of Type A Botulism in France. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2012, 50 (12), pp.4091 - 4094. ⟨10.1128/JCM.02392-12⟩. ⟨pasteur-01762967⟩