Toxic strains of botulism identified
The strains of clostridium botulism found in contaminated bamboo shoots in Nan province have been identified as the toxic Types A and B, Phaijit Warachit, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said yesterday.
Of the strains registered - A through to F - all but C and D are potentially toxic to humans. Phaijit said further testing would take place to identify whether Types E or F, which are as toxic as Types A and B, were also present in the samples. He urged local communities to promote awareness among villagers by spreading guidelines for cooking and fermenting bamboo shoots, which should be prepared in metal containers with a pH level below 4.6 to prevent conditions that encourage the development of clostridium botulism. Veterinarian Duangdow Wongsommart, a lab technician with the department, said the identification of botulism had become more difficult in Thailand due to the limited supply of the bacterium. Exports from the US were restricted after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 due to concerns that it might be used in biochemical weapons. However, she said major government hospitals in most provinces were still capable of carrying out independent tests to identify botulism.
|
