a survey of clostridium botulinum in food poisoning in iran

food-borne botulism is one of the dangerous food poisonings in human in the world. the specimens of 115 patients (serum and stool) with clinical symptoms of botulism, who were inpatient and outpatient were collected at some medical centers in tehran and other areas of iran, between april 1984 to august 1994. in this survey, specimens of 73 patients showed the toxin and spore of c.botulinum. clostridium botulinum type e, was the most common causative agent in food-borne botulism, being responsible for 71.24% of all specimens other etiologic types, in order of frequency were types a (16.43%) and b (12.33%). the results of this study indicate, that the various kinds of fish, salted fish, smoked fish and canned fish, also cans of greenbeans and cucumber were causative of food-borne botulism in patients.