Gourt > Health > Conditions and Diseases > Food and Water Borne > Toxins
A toxin (Gk. toxikon "(poison) for use on arrows,") is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. Toxins are nearly always proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact or absorption with body tissues by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins vary greatly in their severity, ranging from usually minor and acute (as in a bee sting) to almost immediately deadly (as in botulinum toxin).
Biotoxins vary greatly in purpose and mechanism, and can be highly complex (the venom of the cone snail contains dozens of small proteins, each targeting a specific nerve channel or receptor), or relatively small protein.
Use
Biotoxins are used in nature for two primary reasons:
- Predation (spider, snake, jellyfish, wasp)
- Defense (poison dart frog, deadly nightshade, honeybee, wasp)
Poisoning :: Disease Control and Prevention
Poisoning :: First Aid
Toxicology :: Biology
Toxic Substances
Kinetics of Phage-Mediated Biocontrol of Bacteria
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Stephen T. Abedon) Thu, 21 May 2009 13:08:07 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Impacts of Individual Animal Response to Heat and Handling Stresses on Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 Fecal Shedding by Feedlot Cattle
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Tami M. Brown-Brandl et al) Thu, 21 May 2009 13:04:14 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Genotypic Diversity of Escherichia coli in a Dairy Farm*
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Insook Son et al) Thu, 21 May 2009 12:57:19 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Influence of Exogenous Melatonin on Horizontal Transfer of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Experimentally Infected Sheep
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Tom S. Edrington et al) Fri, 08 May 2009 13:27:40 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Systematic Functional Pandemic Strain–Specific Genes, Three Genomic Islands, Two T3SSs in Foodborne, and Clinical Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolates in China
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Guoxiang Chao et al) Fri, 08 May 2009 13:25:01 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Contamination of Carcasses with Human Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica 4/O:3 Originates from Pigs Infected on Farms
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Riikka Laukkanen et al) Fri, 08 May 2009 13:22:24 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Conjugative Transfer of Plasmid-Located Antibiotic Resistance Genes Within the Gastrointestinal Tract of Lesser Mealworm Larvae, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Tawni L. Crippen et al) Fri, 08 May 2009 13:19:47 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
Novel Approaches for Campylobacter Control in Poultry
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Jun Lin) Fri, 08 May 2009 13:11:22 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
E. coli O157 from Sheep in Northeast Scotland: Prevalence, Concentration Shed, and Molecular Characterization by Multilocus Variable Tandem Repeat Analysis
liebertonline@liebertpub.com (Olivia Solecki et al) Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:16:45 -0000
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease , Vol. 0, No. 0.
American.edu: Blowfish and Trade - Outline and overview of this subject.
Bad Bug Book: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning - Caused by the consumption of subtropical and tropical marine finfish which have accumulated naturally occurring dinoflagellate toxins through their diet. Includes cause, associated fish, symptoms, and outbreaks.
Meta Description: [ Provides basic facts about ciguatera. ]
Bad Bug Book: Mushroom Toxins - Includes toxic substances and their effects, symptoms, diagnosis, descriptions of some poisonous mushrooms, and outbreaks.
Meta Description: [ Provides basic facts about mushroom toxins. ]
Bad Bug Book: Scombrotoxin - Caused by the ingestion of foods that contain high levels of histamine. Includes cause, symptoms, associated foods, and outbreaks.
Meta Description: [ Provides basic facts about scombrotoxin. ]
Bad Bug Book: Tetrodotoxin - Pufferfish or Fugu poisoning. Includes cause, symptoms, prognosis, and outbreaks.
Meta Description: [ Provides basic facts about tetrodotoxin. ]
Bad Bug Book: Various Shellfish-Associated Toxins - Caused by consuming shellfish that have accumulated dinoflagellate toxins. Features cause, symptoms, associated foods, and outbreaks.
Meta Description: [ Provides basic facts about various shellfish-associated toxins. ]
CDC: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning - Includes factsheet and publications.
Meta Description: [ This is the Ciguatera page of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) site. Ciguatera fish poisoning (or ciguatera) is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. People who have ciguatera may experience nausea, vomiting, and neurologic sy... ]
Cigua Discuss - Discussion board for ciguatera fish poisoning.
Meta Description: [ ToxiTec Inc - Manufacturers of Cigua-Check , ]
Cyclopeptide-Containing Mushroom Toxicity - Features cause, symptoms, treatment, and possible antidotes.
DBMD - Marine Toxins - Discusses the causes, symptoms, and prevention of several toxins carried by fish and shellfish.
eMedicine Health - Ricin - Consumer health resource center providing information on the symptoms and treatment of ricin poisoning.
Meta Description: [ A maximum credible event is one that could cause a large loss of life in addition to disruption, panic, and overwhelming use of civilian health care resources. This possibility brings ... ]
Food Safety Research Information Office: Ciguatoxin - Directory of factsheets, reports, press releases, and resources on the toxin.
Harmful Algal Blooms and Biotoxins - Factsheet on algal blooms and their effects on humans through affected fish and shellfish.
Meta Description: [ An overview of the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Marine Biotoxins. ]
Human Illness Associated with Harmful Algae - Discusses the various fish and shellfish toxicities of humans caused by the animal's ingestion of toxic algae.
Mytraveldoctor: Blue-Green Algae Toxicosis - Describes the occurrence, manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease.
Meta Description: [ Blue-green Algaes: description occurrence, manifestations, diagnose and treatment, prevention ofBlue-green Algae. ]
Poisonous Mushrooms - Description of toxic species and the symptoms their toxins produce.
Ricin Toxin from the Castor Bean Plant - Scientific and medical article on the toxin and its effects.
The Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) in North America - Images and discussion of toxicity.
The Merck Manual: Chemical Food Poisoning - Causes, symptoms, and signs of poisoning caused by eating plants or animals that contain a naturally occurring poison.
What You Should Know About Pfiesteria piscicid - This toxic dinoflagellate can cause symptoms in people exposed to water contaminated by the toxin. Information about the organism and links to technical and other material on this organism.
Meta Description: [ Toxic Algae
, Location: Main Section of EHP Online ]
WHO: Water-related diseases - Cyanobacterial Toxins - Includes cause, effects on people, distribution, scope of the problem, and prevention.
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