The genome of the life form that produces the world's most fatal toxin has now been exposed. This toxin is the one authentic weapon in the genome of Clostridium botulinum and less than 2 kg - the heaviness of two bags of sugar - is sufficient to exterminate every human being on the planet. Very small amounts of the identical toxin are used in medicinal treatments, one of which is known as Botox®.
The genome series, reported in Genome Research, shows that C. botulinum doesn't have understated tools to elude our human defenses or tricky manners of acquiring resistance to antibiotics. It lives moreover as a quiescent spore or as a forager of putrefying animal materials in the top soil, and doesn't interrelate with human or other outsized animal hosts for “long-drawn-out” periods of time.
Intermittently it gets into an existing animal, via grimy food or open wounds, leading to baby botulism or lesion botulism, equally of which are serious human infections. The host can be swiftly whitewashed and, in some cases, killed by the toxin, and C. botulinum has a new-fangled foodstuff supply.
The genome series, reported in Genome Research, shows that C. botulinum doesn't have understated tools to elude our human defenses or tricky manners of acquiring resistance to antibiotics. It lives moreover as a quiescent spore or as a forager of putrefying animal materials in the top soil, and doesn't interrelate with human or other outsized animal hosts for “long-drawn-out” periods of time.
Intermittently it gets into an existing animal, via grimy food or open wounds, leading to baby botulism or lesion botulism, equally of which are serious human infections. The host can be swiftly whitewashed and, in some cases, killed by the toxin, and C. botulinum has a new-fangled foodstuff supply.
2 comments:
Wow, scary, huh?
This is scary. Especially since babies, children, and seniors are so delicate compared to a healthy adult. Thanks for sharing.
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