This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hielm, S.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hielm, S.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Hielm, S.
Right arrow Articles by Korkeala, H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 1998, p. 4161-4167, Vol. 64, No. 11
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Clostridium botulinum in Finnish Trout Farms: Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Typing Reveals Extensive Genetic Diversity among Type E Isolates

Sebastian Hielm,* Johanna Björkroth, Eija Hyytiä, and Hannu Korkeala

Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Received 17 March 1998/Accepted 12 August 1998

The distribution of Clostridium botulinum serotypes A, B, E, and F in Finnish trout farms was examined. A total of 333 samples were tested with a neurotoxin-specific PCR assay. C. botulinum type E was found in 68% of the farm sediment samples, in 15% of the fish intestinal samples, and in 5% of the fish skin samples. No other serotypes were found. The spore counts determined by the most-probable-number method were considerably higher for the sediments than for the fish intestines and skin; the average values were 2,020, 166, and 310 C. botulinum type E spores kg-1, respectively. The contamination rates in traditional freshwater ponds and marine net cages were high, but in concrete ponds equipped with sediment suction devices the contamination rates were significantly lower. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing of 42 isolates obtained in this survey and 12 North American reference strains generated 28 pulsotypes upon visual inspection, suggesting that there was extensive genetic diversity and that the discriminatory power of PFGE typing in C. botulinum type E was high. A numerical analysis of SmaI-XmaI macrorestriction profiles confirmed these findings, as it divided the 54 isolates into 15 clusters at a similarity level of 76%. For this material, this level of similarity corresponded to a three-band difference in the macrorestriction profiles, which indicated that there is no genotypic proof of a close epidemiological relationship among the clusters.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 57, FIN-00014 Helsinki University, Finland. Phone: 358-9-70849 715. Fax: 358-9-70849 718. E-mail: sebastian.hielm{at}helsinki.fi.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 1998, p. 4161-4167, Vol. 64, No. 11
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Chen, Y., Korkeala, H., Aarnikunnas, J., Lindstrom, M. (2007). Sequencing the Botulinum Neurotoxin Gene and Related Genes in Clostridium botulinum Type E Strains Reveals orfx3 and a Novel Type E Neurotoxin Subtype. J. Bacteriol. 189: 8643-8650 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Keto-Timonen, R., Heikinheimo, A., Eerola, E., Korkeala, H. (2006). Identification of Clostridium Species and DNA Fingerprinting of Clostridium perfringens by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 4057-4065 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Leclair, D., Pagotto, F., Farber, J. M., Cadieux, B., Austin, J. W. (2006). Comparison of DNA fingerprinting methods for use in investigation of type e botulism outbreaks in the canadian arctic.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 1635-1644 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Siragusa, G. R., Danyluk, M. D., Hiett, K. L., Wise, M. G., Craven, S. E. (2006). Molecular Subtyping of Poultry-Associated Type A Clostridium perfringens Isolates by Repetitive-Element PCR.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 1065-1073 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brett, M M, McLauchlin, J, Harris, A, O'Brien, S, Black, N, Forsyth, R J, Roberts, D, Bolton, F J (2005). A case of infant botulism with a possible link to infant formula milk powder: evidence for the presence of more than one strain of Clostridium botulinum in clinical specimens and food. J Med Microbiol 54: 769-776 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnson, E. A., Tepp, W. H., Bradshaw, M., Gilbert, R. J., Cook, P. E., McIntosh, E. D. G. (2005). Characterization of Clostridium botulinum Strains Associated with an Infant Botulism Case in the United Kingdom. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2602-2607 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Keto-Timonen, R., Nevas, M., Korkeala, H. (2005). Efficient DNA Fingerprinting of Clostridium botulinum Types A, B, E, and F by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1148-1154 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nevas, M., Lindstrom, M., Hielm, S., Bjorkroth, K. J., Peck, M. W., Korkeala, H. (2005). Diversity of Proteolytic Clostridium botulinum Strains, Determined by a Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Approach. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1311-1317 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nol, P., Williamson, J. L., Rocke, T. E., Yuill, T. M. (2004). Detection of Clostridium botulinum Type C Cells in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) by Polymerase Chain Reaction. J Wildl Dis 40: 749-753 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dahlenborg, M., Borch, E., Radstrom, P. (2001). Development of a Combined Selection and Enrichment PCR Procedure for Clostridium botulinum Types B, E, and F and Its Use To Determine Prevalence in Fecal Samples from Slaughtered Pigs. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4781-4788 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, X., Maegawa, T., Karasawa, T., Kozaki, S., Tsukamoto, K., Gyobu, Y., Yamakawa, K., Oguma, K., Sakaguchi, Y., Nakamura, S. (2000). Genetic Analysis of Type E Botulinum Toxin-Producing Clostridium butyricum Strains. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 4992-4997 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hyytiä-Trees, E., Skyttä, E., Mokkila, M., Kinnunen, A., Lindström, M., Lähteenmäki, L., Ahvenainen, R., Korkeala, H. (2000). Safety Evaluation of Sous Vide-Processed Products with Respect to Nonproteolytic Clostridium botulinum by Use of Challenge Studies and Predictive Microbiological Models. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 223-229 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hyytiä, E., Hielm, S., Björkroth, J., Korkeala, H. (1999). Biodiversity of Clostridium botulinum Type E Strains Isolated from Fish and Fishery Products. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2057-2064 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»