Scanning electron micrograph of Clostridium botulinum type C/D, strain BKT015925. Note the flagella, which are clearly visible in both images. The length of the scale bar is equivalent to 4 µm.
Image: Hanna Skarin (SVA) and Leif Ljung (BMC).
Many bacteria produce so-called exotoxins. Some of nature’s most potent toxins are found among these. The lethal dose for humans of e.g. the botulinum toxin is only 1-2 ng (1 ng = 0.000 000 001 g) per kg body weight at intraveneous administration. Thus, the botulinum toxin is approximately 6 000 000 times more toxic than the rattle snake venom.
Scanning electron micrographs of Clostridium botulinum type C/D have been included in VetBact and the information on the bacterial pages of all four (I-IV) phenotypic groups of C. botulinum has been updated.