Clostridium Clostridium Clostridium Clostridium difficile Bacillus anthracis Bacillus cereus lysogenic Listeria botulinum tetani perfringens Corynebacterium monocytogenes diphtheriae Reservoir environment environment environment environment environment environment human environment animals animals human farm animals human human

Habitat environment GIT of animals GIT of animals and GIT of humans GIT of animals environment URT environment and humans humans

Transmission Food-borne inoculation inoculation Food-borne inoculation, Food-borne air-borne route food-borne endogenous inhalation inoculation vertical ingestion Main α toxin (lecithinase = Complex toxin: emetic toxin virulence botulinum toxin tetanospasmin phospholipase C), enterotoxin A protective diarrheal toxin diphtheria toxin listeriolysin O factors (neurotoxin) (neurotoxin) enterotoxin, toxic cytotoxin B antigen, lethal cereolysin enzymes factor, edema β-toxin factor capsule Diseases Botulism Tetanus Soft tissue Clostridium difficile- Anthrax Intoxication diphtheria listeriosis (flaccid paralysis) (spastic paralysis) infections: associated diarrhea clinical forms: gastroenteritis (cutaneous clinical forms: clinical forms: myonecrosis (gas (CDAD), cutaneous ocular infections, diphtheria) classic generalized gangrene), cellulitis pseudomembranous pulmonary intravenous infant neonatal GIT: food-poisoning colitis (PMC) gastrointestinal catheter related wound local necrotic enteritis sepsis cephalic Genitourinary: endometritis Complications untreated untreated tetanus toxic shock and dehydration, septic shock and dehydration, myocarditis granulomatous botulism is fatal is fatal multiple organ toxic megacolon, multiple organ septic shock neuritis skin disease in failure bowel perforation failure newborn Diagnosis symptoms symptoms gram stain toxin production Staining and symptoms culture culture blood and tissue culture and toxin culture toxin production cultures production by PCR Treatment antitoxin supportive care wound antibiotics antibiotics antibiotics antibiotics antibiotics antibiotics antitoxin debridement, antitoxin antibiotics antibiotics toxoid (vaccine) Prevention Non-specific DTP vaccine Non-specific Non-specific Non-specific Non-specific DTP vaccine Non-specific