Abstract

Faecal samples from 123 infants who died with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and from a comparative group of 52 age-matched babies were analysed for toxigenic bacteria and their toxins. Serum samples from the SIDS infants were also analysed for these toxins. A significantly higher proportion of toxigenic bacteria and their toxins were found in faecal samples of SIDS babies than in samples from the comparative group. These toxins were also found in serum from the SIDS babies. Clostridium perfringens was found in 54 (45.4%) of 119 SIDS cases compared with 10 (19.6%) of 51 healthy babies (chi 2 = 10.1, p < 0.01); C. difficile in 33 (27.7%) of 119 SIDS cases compared with 8 (14.8%) of 54 healthy babies (chi 2 = 3.43ns, p < 0.1); Staphylococcus aureus in 12 (27.3%; 66.7% enterotoxigenic) of 44 SIDS cases compared with 12 (85.7%; non-enterotoxigenic) of 14 healthy babies (chi 2 = 14.9, p < 0.001); C. botulinum in 6 (5.0%) of 120 SIDS cases compared with 0 of 53 healthy babies (chi 2 = 2.74, p < 0.1). Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, salmonellae and Bacillus cereus were not detected. Heat-labile toxin, lethal to mice (HLML) was found in 32 (27.1%) of 118 SIDS faecal samples compared with 5 (10.6%) of 47 healthy babies (chi 2 = 5.24, p < 0.05); cytotoxins in 38 (30.9%) of 123 SIDS faecal samples compared with 0 of 21 of healthy babies (chi 2 = 8.8, p < 0.01) and 24 (27.6%) of 87 SIDS serum samples. C. perfringens enterotoxin was detected in 33 (34.4%) of 96 SIDS faecal extracts compared with 0 of 23 of healthy babies (chi 2 = 10.94, p < 0.001), and in 27 (24.5%) of 110 SIDS serum samples. C. perfringens alpha-toxin (presumptive) was detected in 14 (17.5%) of 80 SIDS faecal extracts compared with 0 of 17 from healthy babies (chi 2 = 3.5ns, p congruent to 0.05) and in 2 (2.3%) of 87 SIDS serum samples. C. difficile toxin was detected in four SIDS faecal samples and two serum samples. C. botulinum toxin was detected in only one of 120 SIDS faecal samples compared with none of 49 from healthy babies. Staphylococcal enterotoxins were detected in 8 (19.5%) of 41 SIDS faecal samples compared with 0 of 19 from healthy babies (chi 2 = 4.278, p < 0.05), and in 4 (10.8%) of 37 SIDS serum samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.