AUTHOR=Thirunavukkarasu Nagarajan , Johnson Eric , Pillai Segaran , Hodge David , Stanker Larry , Wentz Travis , Singh BalRam , Venkateswaran Kodumudi , McNutt Patrick , Adler Michael , Brown Eric , Hammack Thomas , Burr Donald , Sharma Shashi 

TITLE=Botulinum Neurotoxin Detection Methods for Public Health Response and Surveillance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2018.00080

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2018.00080

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>Botulism outbreak due to consumption of food contaminated with botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) is a public health emergency. The threat of bioterrorism through deliberate distribution in food sources and/or aerosolization of BoNTs raises global public health and security concerns due to the potential for high mortality and morbidity. Rapid and reliable detection methods are necessary to support clinical diagnosis and surveillance for identifying the source of contamination, performing epidemiological analysis of the outbreak, preventing and responding to botulism outbreaks. This review considers the applicability of various BoNT detection methods and examines their fitness-for-purpose in safeguarding the public health and security goals.</p>