Project

The first two cases in France of botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F were identified in November 2014, in the same family. Both cases required prolonged respiratory assistance. One of the cases had extremely high toxin serum levels and remained paralysed for two weeks. Investigations strongly supported the hypothesis of a common exposure during a family meal with high level contamination of the source. However, all analyses of leftover food remained negative. Clostridium baratii was isolated from stool specimens from the two patients. A second cluster of three cases of food-borne botulism due to Clostridium baratii type F occurred in France in August 2015. All cases required respiratory assistance. Consumption of a Bolognese sauce at the same restaurant was the likely source of contamination. Clostridium baratii was isolated both from stool specimens from the three patients and ground meat used to prepare the sauce. This is the second episode reported in France caused by this rare pathogen. One strain from the first cluster and four from the second one have been sequenced (Illumina technology). A complete genome of a C. baratii strain (Sullivan) isolated from adult stool in 2007 in New York is available in Genbank (chromosome: CP006905; plasmid: CP006906).