Hi all,

Not sure if I'm posting this question in the correct area, but here goes - Does the Clostridium tetani bacillus have a smell to it, when it is being grown out? It is anaerobic, of course ... but I have never worked with it personally, so I don't know.

Has anyone on here worked with this bacteria before? And if so, does it have a smell to it? What kind of smell?

Thank you for any information ...

LadySnape said:

Hi all, Not sure if I'm posting this question in the correct area, but here goes - Does the Clostridium tetani bacillus have a smell to it, when it is being grown out? It is anaerobic, of course ... but I have never worked with it personally, so I don't know. Has anyone on here worked with this bacteria before? And if so, does it have a smell to it? What kind of smell? Thank you for any information ...

I founf these information, I hope they help, I didn't directly worked with this bacteria.

Clincial characteristics of anaerobic infections:
-Foul smell and/or gas productionthese bugs produce amines as well as CO2, H2 etc. Aerobes can produce gas too, but anaerobic bugs can produce infections that are near the mucous membranes.
Closteridium tetanigram positive strict anaerobe, found in the soil, is very weakly invasive, and produces the tetanus toxin. It does not need to penetrate. It does produce spores as well.
1) Pathogenesisthe toxin does two things:
2) inhibits the relsease of inhibitory transmitters and causes a spastic paralysis.
Different forms:
1) Wound tetanusidnentical situation to botulisms
2) Neonatalnot very common anymore
-you wont develop any immunity after a natural infection
-the vaccine is against the toxin.

Old time microbiologists were well versed in smells - both in lesions and in pure cultures - of bacteria.