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Title Distribution of Clostridium botulinum in finfish and shellfish from Indian waters
 
Names Lalitha, K.V.
Surendran, P.K.
Date Issued 1999 (iso8601)
Abstract Clostridium botulinum, a gram positive spore forming bacterium, is the causative
agent of highly lethal food poisoning namely 'botulism' in man. Strains of C. botulinum
are classified into seven serotypes (A to G) depending on the serological specificity of the
neurotoxin produced. The organism is found naturally in numerous terrestrial and
aquatic habitats. The distribution of Clostridium botulinum serotypes in finfish and
shellfish collected from onboard fishing vessel and from the retail markets in and around
Cochin were examined. A total of 167 samples of finfish and shellfish were tested. An
overall prevalence of 16% was found. In freshly caught fish, of the 90 samples tested,
12% harboured C. botulinum. In finfish/shellfish obtained from the retail markets, the
overall contamination level was 21% (16/77), it ranged from 16% for marine finfish to
22% for brackishwater finfish, to 30% for shrimp and to 33% for freshwater prawn.
Incidence of C. botulinum was high in prawn. Most of the samples harboured type D
spores followed by type C, type B and type A. Type E was noticeably absent from the
samples tested.
1
Genre Article
Identifier Paper presented at the National Symposium on Sustainable Development of Fisheries Towards 2020 AD, held at School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin,21- 23, 1999.