Botulism during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: The importance of differential diagnoses

Antonio Gatto; Silvia Maria Pulitanò; Giorgio Conti; Paolo Maurizio Soave; Lorenzo Di Sarno; Antonio Chiaretti

doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2021.102389

Botulism during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: The importance of differential diagnoses

Anaerobe. 2021 Aug:70:102389. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2021.102389. Epub 2021 May 26.

Authors

Antonio Gatto¹, Silvia Maria Pulitanò², Giorgio Conti³, Paolo Maurizio Soave⁴, Lorenzo Di Sarno⁵, Antonio Chiaretti⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.gatto@policlinicogemelli.it.
² Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: smaria.pulitano@rm.unicatt.it.
³ Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Catholic University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giorgio.conti@policlinicogemelli.it.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Catholic University, Roma, Italy. Electronic address: pmsoave@yahoo.it.
⁵ Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: lorenzodisarno1993@gmail.com.
⁶ Institute of Pediatrics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: antonio.chiaretti@unicatt.it.

Abstract

Botulism is a neuroparalytic syndrome caused by a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. We describe a patient with neurological symptoms associated with intoxication by Clostridium botulinum and infection by SARSCoV2. This report underlines that it is mandatory, even in case of SARS-CoV-2 positivity, to investigate all the causes of a clinical pattern.

Keywords: Antitoxin; Botulism; Neurological symptoms; SARSCoV2 infection.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Botulism / diagnosis*
Botulism / microbiology
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
COVID-19 / virology
Clostridium botulinum / genetics
Clostridium botulinum / isolation & purification
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2 / physiology