alleryStart learning →Which organism produces the toxin responsible for botulism?
AStaphylococcus aureus, a skin colonizer
BEscherichia coli, a gut inhabitant
CPseudomonas aeruginosa, a soil species
DClostridium botulinum, an anaerobe
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobe
1. Botulism is a potentially fatal disease produced by a toxin, not by the organism growing in the patient's tissues.
2. The toxin comes from the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
3. Common sources were non-acidic canned foods, homemade pickles, and processed meat and sausages.
4. A can, jar or package supplies the anaerobic environment this organism needs.
5. Proper sterilization and canning procedures have cut the incidence of the disease.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.4 Bacterial Diseases in Humans_
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