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ISDS 2016 Conference Abstracts

Spread of Clostridium botulinum in the soils of 
Georgia
Ekaterine Zhorzholiani*, Neli Chakvetadze, Guram Katsitadze and Paata Imnadze
National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia

Objective
The main focus of this study was to study the spread of botulism in 

Georgia and the biological characteristics of the strains of Clostridium 
botulinum isolated from territories in the country.

Introduction
Accumulation of C. botulinum in soil occurs through excretion of 

bacterial spores from the intestines of humans, animals, birds and 
fish. In Georgia, during the winter season, the population consumes 
homemade vegetable preserves, which are made of locally produced 
(as well as imported) vegetables. Historical surveys confirmed that the 
presence of C. botulinum in the soil is widespread. Some researchers 
consider C. botulinum a characteristic component of soil flora.

Methods
Soil samples were collected from areas, where from 2001-2002 

cases of botulism caused by homemade vegetable preserves (produced 
from vegetables cultivated in those areas) were registered. Soil 
samples were collected from Kakheti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, 
Samtkhe-Javakheti, and Samegrelo regions. Standard bacteriology 
and PCR were used to confirm the presence of C. botulinum from soil 
samples. Separation of strains and their examination was conducted in 
accordance with the scheme provided by the CDC Atlanta Reference 
Laboratory (USA), which was later tested by NCDC. Toxigenicity 
and toxin production of strains were tested using a biotest on white 
mice.

Results
In total, 258 soil samples were tested, from which, 40 (15.5%) 

cultures of C. botulinum type B were obtained. Toxigenicity and 
toxin production were confirmed through biotests. These results 
confirm the presence of C. botulinum in agricultural lands, which 
causes contamination of vegetables cultivated on those lands, which 
are used for the preparation of homemade preserves, causing botulism 
in humans.

Conclusions
For the purpose of finding solutions to botulism, it is essential 

to verify the ecology of the pathogen through establishing the 
prevalence of bacteria in different soil types. It was shown that some 
areas of Georgia, where vegetable growing is greatly developed, and 
which, are the main sources of crops, are highly contaminated with  
C. botulinum. In Georgia, land used for agriculture is contaminated 
with C. botulinum. C. botulinum type B was isolated from 40 cultures 
obtained from 258 soil samples, which represents contamination in 
15.5% of sampled areas. These results suggest that vegetables and 
melons may be highly contaminated as well. All cases of C. botulinum 
in humans that were researched were connected to homemade canned 
vegetables.

Keywords
C. botulinum; Soil; Spores; Strains

Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the National Botulism Laboratory Team, and 
CDC Atlanta, Georgia. Participation in this conference was made possible 
by financial support provided by the US Defense Threat Reduction 
Agency. The findings, opinions and views expressed herein belong to 
the authors and do not reflect an official position of the Department of 
the Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government, or any other 
organization listed.

*Ekaterine Zhorzholiani
E-mail: Eka.Zhorzholiani@ch2m.com

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 9(1):e160, 2017