Botulism

Key Information	Appropriate Tests
Food-borne	Detection of botulinum toxin from serum, stool, suspect food or ingested material. Toxin testing is only available in specialised laboratories.
Infantile	If Clostridium botulinum is suspected, a specific request for anaerobic culture of faeces is required. In the appropriate clinical setting, isolation of C. botulinum provides presumptive evidence of infection.
Wound	Wound swab with anaerobic culture - isolation of C. botulinum provides presumptive evidence of infection.

Key Information

Appropriate Tests

Food-borne

Detection of botulinum toxin from serum, stool, suspect food or ingested material.

Toxin testing is only available in specialised laboratories.

Infantile

If Clostridium botulinum is suspected, a specific request for anaerobic culture of faeces is required.

In the appropriate clinical setting, isolation of C. botulinum provides presumptive evidence of infection.

Wound

Wound swab with anaerobic culture - isolation of C. botulinum provides presumptive evidence of infection.

Glossary Terms