Infantile botulism is caused by , an anaerobic, spore-forming, gram-positive bacillus. This bacterium is found in soil, water, and air, with a lethal toxin dosage as low as 1 mcg/kg. Botulism can develop through 5 distinct mechanisms, though this article focuses on infantile botulism. Foodborne botulism occurs when a person ingests the preformed toxin. Infantile botulism results from colonization in the gastrointestinal tract of infants younger than 1 year. Wound botulism arises when infected wounds harbor and produce toxin. Iatrogenic botulism is associated with systemic intoxication following cosmetic or therapeutic use of botulinum toxin. Intestinal colonization in individuals older than 1 year leads to toxin production within the gastrointestinal tract, similar to infantile botulism but occurring in older children or adults. Despite these different routes of infection, only 3 primary serotypes account for cases in humans. Type A is most prevalent west of the Mississippi River. Type B is more common in the eastern United States. Type E is frequently found in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Alaska. Approximately 100 cases of infantile botulism are reported annually in the United States. Around 20% are linked to raw honey consumption, with most cases occurring in infants from immigrant families. In the majority of affected infants, the source of spores remains unidentified. Experts suggest that contamination may result from exposure to environmental sources, such as dust from construction sites or soil.
婴儿肉毒中毒由肉毒杆菌引起，它是一种厌氧、形成芽孢的革兰氏阳性杆菌。这种细菌存在于土壤、水和空气中，致死毒素剂量低至1微克/千克。肉毒中毒可通过5种不同机制发生，不过本文重点关注婴儿肉毒中毒。食源性肉毒中毒是指人摄入预先形成的毒素。婴儿肉毒中毒是由于1岁以下婴儿的胃肠道被肉毒杆菌定殖所致。伤口肉毒中毒是在受感染的伤口中存在肉毒杆菌并产生毒素时发生。医源性肉毒中毒与肉毒毒素在美容或治疗用途后的全身中毒有关。1岁以上个体的肠道定殖会导致胃肠道内产生毒素，这与婴儿肉毒中毒类似，但发生在年龄较大的儿童或成人身上。尽管有这些不同的感染途径，但人类病例中仅由3种主要的肉毒杆菌血清型引起。A型在密西西比河以西最为普遍。B型在美国东部更为常见。E型在太平洋西北部经常发现，尤其是在阿拉斯加。美国每年报告约100例婴儿肉毒中毒病例。约20%与食用生蜂蜜有关，大多数病例发生在移民家庭的婴儿中。在大多数受影响的婴儿中，肉毒杆菌芽孢的来源仍不明。专家们认为，污染可能是由于接触环境源，如建筑工地的灰尘或土壤。
