LABORATORY RESULTS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOCHTHONOUS CASES OF BOTULISM (2003 - 2017) Botulism occurs by ingestion of canned food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. In most cases, the incriminated canned foods are homemade; commercial products only occasionally produce the disease, due to improper handling and storage after purchase. In Romania, the most common sources of food botulism are homemade pork products (ham, bacon, salami, meat and sausages preserved in lard). The disease occurs in small outbreaks. Out of several serotypes of C. botulinum, the predominant serotype in our country is type B. The Laboratory of Anaerobic and Zoonotic Infections in Cantacuzino Institute performs in vivo reference laboratory diagnosis of botulinum food poisoning, using the mouse lethality assay for detection of the toxin in the sample and for toxin typing. Between 2003 and 2017, our laboratory tested 576 biological samples for the diagnosis of botulism: patient blood serum samples (80%), food samples (19.02%) and autopsy fragments from deceased patients (0.8%). Type B botulinum toxin was detected in 50% of the total number of blood serum samples received for testing and a single serum was positive for type E toxin. 5% of the tested food samples were positive for type B toxin. Until 2007, the geographic origin of positive samples that we received for testing showed high incidence of food botulism in the center and west of the country. Starting 2007, we received more samples from several eastern counties, many of them being confirmed as positive. Until mid 2009, we frequently received insufficient amounts of patient serum, and we could not determine the toxin serotype.

LABORATORY RESULTS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOCHTHONOUS CASES OF BOTULISM (2003 - 2017). -