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Botulinum Toxin—Clostridium botulinum, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555818814/9781555818814_Chap16.5-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555818814/9781555818814_Chap16.5-2.gifAbstract:
Clostridium botulinum organisms are straight to slightly curved, Gram-positive (in young cultures), motile, anaerobic rods, 0.5 to 2.0 μm in width and 1.6 to 22.0 μm in length, with oval, subterminal spores ( 1 ). C. botulinum is a Select Agent Tier 1 organism. Sentinel clinical laboratories will not isolate nor identify C. botulinum or its toxins. In suspected cases of botulism, sentinel clinical laboratories will obtain appropriate specimens, ensure that they are packaged safely, and consult with the patient’s physician, their designated Laboratory Response Network (LRN) reference laboratory, and the CDC. Sentinel clinical laboratories are defined as those certified to perform high-complexity testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA’88) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the applicable microbiology specialty. Laboratory in-house testing includes Gram stains and at least one of the following: lower respiratory tract, wound, or blood cultures.