ABSTRACT
Botulism and tetanus are among the most striking diseases known to humankind. Tetanus is characterized by spasticity, violent movements, and high mortality [1]. It is still endemic in various areas of the world, occurring most frequently in neonates following birth and causing thousands of deaths. Botulism is characterized as a flaccid paralysis progressing to suffocation and death in severe cases that do not receive adequate treatment [2]. Interestingly, both botulism and tetanus are caused by similar neurotoxins (NTs) with extraordinary neurospecificity and similar mechanisms of action [3-8]. The diseases are considered to be true toxemias, in which the toxins produced by the organisms are the responsible agents, and the bacteria are not directly involved in the spastic and paralytic conditions. The clostridial neurotoxins (CNTs), botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) and tetanus toxin (TeNT), are produced by strains of neurotoxigenic clostridia.
