World's most deadliest bacterial toxin just got a flight ticket

image Source: Wikipedia

The world is experiencing series of revolution and it seems the microbial world is fast taking the lead to our detriment. If the recent discovery on one of the world’s most deadly bacteria toxin reported is anything to go by then we need to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

There was a Bacteria named Clostridium botulinum
Clostridium botulinum is a gram-positive spore forming bacteria from the environment popularly known for the production of one of the world’s deadly neurotoxin called botulinum toxin. Clostridium botulinum toxin influence flaccid paralysis and it is designated botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). The toxin is often with a severe outcomes and high lethality rate. It can easily be contracted by eating food contaminated by C. botulinum thereby causing food intoxication

The gene swap between Clostridium and another Enterococcus faecalis

Image Source:Cell Host Microbe

Recently a team of investigator led by Min Dong Ph.D. of the Harvard Medical School have discovered botulinum toxin in a strain of Enterococcus faecium. Now for the sake clarity let us talk a little about Enterococcus as a bacteria.
Enterococci are complex, diverse, and important group of bacteria in terms of their interaction with humans and animals. They are ubiquitous and are encountered in nearly everything we human come in contact with. They are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach) of nearly all land animals, they are abundantly found in poultry and are also found in our own stomach. In addition, the enterococci have the capacity to acquired a wide variety of antimicrobial resistance factors, which present serious problems in the management of patients with enterococcal infections.
The report was published recently in Cell Host Microbe and it is the first ever of its kind where a botulinum neurotoxin will be found in another bacteria other than C. botulinum. I must say this with all sense of fear that this is not a good news, not at this time the world is still battling with multi-drug resistance conundrum. We as humans are set for the worst microbial revolution if urgent steps are not taken. The reason is simple, botulinum is a world most dangerous toxin known, so much so that it has been employed by terrorist as a biological weapon which can cause paralysis almost immediately or kill in few minutes because it acts on the nerve cells.
Its recent detection in Enterococcus was reportedly found to be plasmid borne.

Plasmids are DNA independent mobile genetic element that are responsible for carrying genes (mostly antibiotic resistance genes) from one bacteria to another

Why do we need to be afraid of this bacteria?

Enterococcus is a normal human and animal resident bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract. In fact it is abundantly found living in our gut and are opportunistic pathogen. It is a leading cause of Hospital Acquired Infection.
Enterococcus is a central hub for gene transfer within the gut and that’s something to really talk about. It is on record that Enterococcus was the first bacteria, with the help of plasmids have been associated with the acquisition of resistance to vancomycin, a last resort antibiotics and transfer of resistance to another world most deadly Staphylococcus aureus. This swapping ability of the pathogen is worrisome and one would tend to ask “what if a more potent toxin from C. botulinum end up in a notorious human and animal species of Enterococcus e.g. Enterococcus faecium which is extremely tough and can survive a lot of stress and is usually multi-drug resistant.

Way forward

Currently the use of antibiotic in farm for food-producing animals is one of the problem leading to selective pressure and the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria. Enterococcus spp has benefited largely from this practice and has consequently transfer some of the known resistant genes mecA to Staphylococcus aureus, one of the solution to this problem is to discourage the use of growth promoting factors which are largely antibiotics, in livestock farming. More research is expected to be carried out to expand and study enterococcal collection and to check the phylogenetic relationship between them and C. botulinum.

Conclusively, the battle against microbe is a fight to finish. In recent years the study of bacteria has become somewhat unfashionable in academic settings and there has been a sharp decline in the number of trained scientist in this area. However this bacteriologist are responsible for the molecular revolution that has transformed all of biology. This molecular revolution has spawned a renewed interest which is like a silver lining in this otherwise dark cloud.

Reference:

1. Ayeni FA, Odumosu BT, Oluseyi AE, Ruppitsch W. Identification and prevalence of tetracycline resistance in enterococci isolated from poultry in Ilishan, Ogun State, Nigeria. J Pharm Bioall Sci 2016;8:69-73
2.Cell Host Microbe
3. Identification of a Botulinum Neurotoxin-like Toxin in a Commensal Strain of Enterococcus faecium
4. WHO Facts Sheets

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