Tetanus has been known from the very beginning of medical literature since it was first described by Hyppocrates of Cos in the fifth century B.C. For 24 centuries it was considered a neuro logical disease until the breakthrough of CARLE and RATIONE (1884) who demonstrated its infectious etiology. Following the establishment of purified cultures of Clostridium tetani(KITASATO 1889), FABER (1890), and TIZZONI and CATIANI (1890) demon strated that the disease is actually an intoxication caused by a proteic neurotoxin. This toxin was shown by BRUSHCHETIINI (1892) to move retroaxonally and to act at the spinal cord level. Soon thereafter VAN ERMENGEN (1897) demonstrated that botu lism is also due to intoxication with a protein toxin produced by bacteria of the genus Clostridium. These bacteria and their spores and ubiquitous, and the majority of them do not produce neurotoxins. The selective advantage of producing such potent toxin is still a matter of speculation (see Popoff, this volume). The next major advance was the discovery that tetanus neurotoxin 1 can be converted by formaldehyde treatment to a nonpathogenic but still fully immunogenic form, and that this can be used successfully as a vaccine to prevent tetanus (RAMON and DESCOMBEY 1925). Similar vaccines (toxoids) can be prepared with botulism neurotoxins (see MiDDLEBROOK and BROWN, this volume). The prevention oftetanus by vaccination (see Galatzka and Gasse, this volume) is one of the great successes of basic research coupled with an efficient public medicine service.

Botulinum Neurotoxin and Tetanus Toxin ...

Neurotoxicology is a broad and burgeoning field of research. Its growth in recent years can be related, in part, to increased interest in and concern with the fact that a growing number of anthropogenic agents with neurotoxic potential, including pesticides, lead, mercury, and the polytypic bypro ducts of combustion and industrial production, continue to be spewed into and accumulate in the environment. In addition, there is great interest in natural products, including toxins, as sources of therapeutic agents. Indeed, it is well known that many natural toxins of broadly differing structure, produced or accumulated for predatory or defensive purposes, and toxic agents, accumulated incidentally by numerous species, function to perturb nervous tissue. Components of some of these toxins have been shown to be useful therapeutic agents and/or research reagents. Unfor tunately, the environmental accumulation of some neurotoxic ants of anthropogenic ori gin, especially pesticides and metals, has resulted in incidents of human poisoning, some of epidemic proportion, and high levels of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, an increasing incidence of neurobehavioral disorders, some with baffling symptoms, is confronting clinicians. It is not clear whether this is merely the result of increased vigi lance and/or improved diagnostics or a consequence of improved health care. In any case, the role of exposure to environmental and occupational neurotoxic ants in the etiology of these phenomena, as well as neurodegenerative diseases, is coming under increasing scrutiny and investigation.

Clostridial Diseases of Animals is the first book to focus on clostridial diseases in domestic and wild animals, offering a comprehensive reference on these common diseases. Provides a single resource for all aspects of clostridial diseases Presents current, comprehensive information with a focus on clinical relevance Covers each disease in depth, including etiology, epidemiology, clinics, gross pathology, histopathology, diagnostics, diagnostic criteria, prophylaxis, control, and treatment Written by the world-leading experts in the field of clostridial diseases in animals Offers photographs and summary tables to support the concepts discussed in the text and aid in recognition

The extremely potent substance botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has attracted much interest in diverse fields. Originally identified as cause for the rare but deadly disease botulism, military and terrorist intended to misuse this sophisticated molecule as biological weapon. This caused its classification as select agent category A by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention and the listing in the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Later, the civilian use of BoNT as long acting peripheral muscle relaxant has turned this molecule into an indispensable pharmaceutical world wide with annual revenues >$1.5 billion. Also basic scientists value the botulinum neurotoxin as molecular tool for dissecting mechanisms of exocytosis. This book will cover the most recent molecular details of botulinum neurotoxin, its mechanism of action as well as its detection and application.

Clostridia is one of the largest bacterial genera with an enormous potential for biotechnical and medical applications. Despite growing scientific, medical, and industrial interest, information on basic methods, biochemical fundamentals, clinical practice, industrial applications, and novel developments remains scattered in a variety of research ar

Biological toxins are an important part of our world, a reality with which we need to cope, so in parallel with understanding their mechanisms of action and thereby improving our fundamental knowledge, there are successful efforts to utilize them as therapeutics against some debilitating human and animal diseases. In view of the complexity of different types of biotoxins and the broad range of toxin structure, physiology, utility, and countermeasures including regulatory issues, it was thus aimed to compile a book on biotoxins and bioweapons. This reference work in the Toxinology handbook series gathers together knowledge from around the globe about naturally inspired and manufactured biological weapons. The authors describe how they work; how authorities may detect their presence, prevent their use, and diagnose their impacts; and the means by which medical and paramedical professionals may treat victims. Also described are how they have been used to further our knowledge and what insights they have given us into evolutionary and physiological processes. Finally, it is also discussed how these toxins can be used as therapeutics and what the implications of such therapeutics are to their use as biothreat agents. This volume provides a reference accessible to scientists, educators, and medical experts alike with an interest in biotoxins, focusing on the major toxins used as bioweapons. Regulatory agencies will also benefit from the information provided in this book. Some in the intended audience may need to understand how they elicit their effects and how we can defend ourselves against them. Others may be interested in the sometimes colorful histories that surround this subset of biotoxins that can be and, in some cases, have been used as weapons.

Provides a fully revised Eleventh Edition of the definitive reference to swine health and disease Diseases of Swine has been the definitive reference on swine health and disease for over 60 years. This new edition has been completely revised to include the latest information, developments, and research in the field. Now with full color images throughout, this comprehensive and authoritative resource has been redesigned for improved consistency and readability, with a reorganized format for more intuitive access to information. Diseases of Swine covers a wide range of essential topics on swine production, health, and management, with contributions from more than 100 of the foremost international experts in the field. This revised edition makes the information easy to find and includes expanded information on welfare and behavior. A key reference for anyone involved in the swine industry, Diseases of Swine, Eleventh Edition: Presents a thorough revision to the gold-standard reference on pig health and disease Features full color images throughout the book Includes information on the most current advances in the field Provides comprehensive information on swine welfare and behavior Offers a reorganized format to make the information more accessible Written for veterinarians, academicians, students, and individuals and agencies responsible for swine health and public health, Diseases of Swine, Eleventh Edition is an essential guide to swine health. "The 11th edition of Diseases of Swine continues to serve as the gold-standard resource for anything and everything related to swine herd health...this edition does an outstanding job of keeping up with the advanced diagnostic technologies and the latest research on new or emerging diseases and syndromes...there is no other informational resource that comes close to providing the depth or quality of information on the topic of swine diseases as does this book"

Providing a comprehensive insight into cellular signaling processes in bacteria with a special focus on biotechnological implications, this is the first book to cover intercellular as well as intracellular signaling and its relevance for biofilm formation, host pathogen interactions, symbiotic relationships, and photo- and chemotaxis. In addition, it deals in detail with principal bacterial signaling mechanisms -- making this a valuable resource for all advanced students in microbiology. Dr. Krämer is a world-renowned expert in intracellular signaling and its implications for biotechnology processes, while Dr. Jung is an expert on intercellular signaling and its relevance for biomedicine and agriculture.