Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1983 Jan;45(1):347–349. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.1.347-349.1983

Differentiation of Clostridium difficile Toxin from Clostridium botulinum Toxin by the Mouse Lethality Test

Peter H Gilligan 1, Lawrence Brown 1, Richard E Berman 1
PMCID: PMC242285  PMID: 6824325

Abstract

The mouse lethality test is the most sensitive method for confirming the diagnosis of infant botulism. Both Clostridium difficile and Clostridium botulinum produce heat-labile toxins which are lethal for mice and can be found in the feces of infants. These two toxins can be distinguished from one another in this assay when both are present in the same fecal specimen because they appear to be immunologically distinct toxins.

Full text

PDF
347

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arnon S. S., Chin J. The clinical spectrum of infant botulism. Rev Infect Dis. 1979 Jul-Aug;1(4):614–624. doi: 10.1093/clinids/1.4.614. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Arnon S. S., Damus K., Chin J. Infant botulism: epidemiology and relation to sudden infant death syndrome. Epidemiol Rev. 1981;3:45–66. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.epirev.a036239. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Donta S. T., Myers M. G. Clostridium difficile toxin in asymptomatic neonates. J Pediatr. 1982 Mar;100(3):431–434. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(82)80454-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dowell V. R., Jr, McCroskey L. M., Hatheway C. L., Lombard G. L., Hughes J. M., Merson M. H. Coproexamination for botulinal toxin and clostridium botulinum. A new procedure for laboratory diagnosis of botulism. JAMA. 1977 Oct 24;238(17):1829–1832. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ehrich M., Van Tassell R. L., Libby J. M., Wilkins T. D. Production of Clostridium difficile antitoxin. Infect Immun. 1980 Jun;28(3):1041–1043. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.3.1041-1043.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. George W. L., Sutter V. L., Citron D., Finegold S. M. Selective and differential medium for isolation of Clostridium difficile. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Feb;9(2):214–219. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.2.214-219.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gilligan P. H., McCarthy L. R., Genta V. M. Relative frequency of Clostridium difficile in patients with diarrheal disease. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Jul;14(1):26–31. doi: 10.1128/jcm.14.1.26-31.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mårdh P. A., Helin I., Colleen I., Oberg M., Holst E. Clostridium difficile toxin in faecal specimens of healthy children and children with diarrhoea. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1982 Mar;71(2):275–278. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1982.tb09414.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sherertz R. J., Sarubbi F. A. The prevalence of Clostridium difficile and toxin in a nursery population: a comparison between patients with necrotizing enterocolitis and an asymptomatic group. J Pediatr. 1982 Mar;100(3):435–439. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(82)80455-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Taylor N. S., Thorne G. M., Bartlett J. G. Comparison of two toxins produced by Clostridium difficile. Infect Immun. 1981 Dec;34(3):1036–1043. doi: 10.1128/iai.34.3.1036-1043.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES