Review

. 2023 Jan 5:13:1099184.

doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099184. eCollection 2022.

Clostridium botulinum type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update

François Meurens^{1

2}, Frédéric Carlin³, Michel Federighi⁴, Maria-Eleni Filippitzi⁵, Matthieu Fournier⁶, Philippe Fravalo⁷, Jean-Pierre Ganière⁸, Lionel Grisot⁹, Laurent Guillier¹⁰, Didier Hilaire¹¹, Pauline Kooh¹⁰, Sophie Le Bouquin-Leneveu¹², Caroline Le Maréchal¹², Christelle Mazuet¹³, Hervé Morvan⁸, Karine Petit¹⁰, Jean-Pierre Vaillancourt¹⁴, Cédric Woudstra¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR, Nantes, France.
² Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
³ INRAE, Avignon Université, UMR SQPOV, Avignon, France.
⁴ SECALIM, INRAE, Oniris, Nantes, France.
⁵ Laboratory of Animal Health Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
⁶ Univ Rouen Normandie, Univ Caen Normandie, CNRS, M2C, UMR 6143, Rouen, France.
⁷ Chaire Agroalimentaire du Cnam, Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, EPN7, Ploufragan, France.
⁸ Retired, Brittany, France.
⁹ Clinique des Tourbières, Frasne, France.
¹⁰ Risk Assessment Department, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France.
¹¹ DGA Maîtrise NRBC, Vert-le-Petit, France.
¹² Hygiene and Quality of Poultry and Pig Products Unit, ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan, France.
¹³ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNR Bactéries anaérobies et Botulisme, Paris, France.
¹⁴ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
¹⁵ Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

PMID: 36687640
PMCID: PMC9849819
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099184

Review

Clostridium botulinum type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update

François Meurens et al. Front Microbiol. 2023.

. 2023 Jan 5:13:1099184.

doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099184. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR, Nantes, France.
² Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
³ INRAE, Avignon Université, UMR SQPOV, Avignon, France.
⁴ SECALIM, INRAE, Oniris, Nantes, France.
⁵ Laboratory of Animal Health Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
⁶ Univ Rouen Normandie, Univ Caen Normandie, CNRS, M2C, UMR 6143, Rouen, France.
⁷ Chaire Agroalimentaire du Cnam, Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, EPN7, Ploufragan, France.
⁸ Retired, Brittany, France.
⁹ Clinique des Tourbières, Frasne, France.
¹⁰ Risk Assessment Department, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France.
¹¹ DGA Maîtrise NRBC, Vert-le-Petit, France.
¹² Hygiene and Quality of Poultry and Pig Products Unit, ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, Ploufragan, France.
¹³ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNR Bactéries anaérobies et Botulisme, Paris, France.
¹⁴ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
¹⁵ Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

PMID: 36687640
PMCID: PMC9849819
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1099184

Abstract

Clostridium botulinum is the main causative agent of botulism, a neurological disease encountered in humans as well as animals. Nine types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) have been described so far. Amongst these "toxinotypes," the A, the B and E are the most frequently encountered in humans while the C, D, C/D and D/C are mostly affecting domestic and wild birds as well as cattle. In France for instance, many cases and outbreaks are reported in these animal species every year. However, underestimation is very likely at least for avifauna species where the detection of dead animals can be challenging. Knowledge about BoNTs C, D, C/D, and D/C and the diseases they cause in animals and humans is still scarce and unclear. Specifically, the potential role of animal botulism outbreaks in cattle and poultry as a source of human illness needs to be further assessed. In this narrative review, we present the current knowledge about toxinotypes C, D, C/D, and D/C in cattle and poultry with, amongst various other aspects, their epidemiological cycles. We also discuss the zoonotic potential of these toxinotypes and some possible ways of risk mitigation. An adapted and effective management of botulism outbreaks in livestock also requires a better understanding of these less common and known toxinotypes.

Keywords: Clostridium; botulism; cattle; poultry; toxins; zoonosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Structure of BoNT/C, /D, /CD et /DC (BoNT: *Botulinum* neurotoxin).

**Figure 2**
Epidemiological cycle of *Clostridium botulinum* in cattle farms.

**Figure 3**
Epidemiological cycle of *Clostridium botulinum* in poultry flocks.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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Clostridium botulinum type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update

Affiliations

Clostridium botulinum type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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