Botulism in Greenland

Global Occurrence of Infant Botulism: 2007-2021

We sought to summarize the worldwide occurrence and epidemiology of infant botulism (IB) from 2007 to 2021. Data were collected through active and passive surveillance, via hospital inquiries to the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program regarding Human Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous for patients with suspected IB, by contact with epidemiologists in countries with historically high case counts and by searching the medical literature. A case was defined as an infant with laboratory-confirmed botulism that was not due to ingestion of food containing botulinum toxin. Eighteen countries reported their first cases between 2007 and 2021. Of the 2943 cases recognized from 2007 to 2021, 1587 were type A, 6 type Ab or A&B, 1 type Af, 1254 type B, 9 type Ba, 26 type Bf, 1 type Bh, 8 type E, 15 type F, and 36 of unknown toxin type. Median age at onset was 16.8 weeks and 48.4% of patients were female. Patients in the rest of the world (ROW) were more likely to be intubated than US patients (50.3% ROW vs 21.2%), have longer hospital stays (median 27.0 days ROW vs 12.0 days), and have consumed honey (19.7% ROW vs 3.8%). In conclusion, the distribution of IB cases worldwide does not reflect the detection of Clostridium botulinum spores in soil, suggesting IB is underrecognized in certain countries. To improve recognition of IB, physicians should consider IB when an infant presents with cranial nerve palsies, hypotonia, constipation, and/or poor feeding. Pediatricians globally should continue to educate parents about honey ingestion as one risk factor for IB.

Geophysical monitoring of simulated homicide burials for forensic investigations

Finding hidden bodies, believed to have been murdered and buried, is problematic, expensive in terms of human resource and currently has low success rates for law enforcement agencies. Here we present, for the first time, ten years of multidisciplinary geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine graves using animal analogues. Results will provide forensic search teams with crucial information on optimal detection techniques, equipment configuration and datasets for comparison to active and unsolved cold case searches. Electrical Resistivity (ER) surveys showed a naked burial produced large, low-resistivity anomalies for up to four years, but then the body became difficult to image. A wrapped burial had consistent small, high-resistivity anomalies for four years, then large high-resistivity anomalies until the survey period end. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) 110-900 MHz surveys showed the wrapped burial could be detected throughout. 225 MHz GPR data was optimal, but the naked burial was poorly imaged after six years. Results suggested conducting both ER and GPR surveys if the burial style was unknown when searching for interred remains. Surveys in winter and spring produced the best datasets, and, as post-burial time increases, surveying in these seasons became increasingly important. This multidisciplinary study provides critical new insights for law enforcement and families of the disappeared worldwide.

Interactions of climate, socio-economics, and global mercury pollution in the North Water

Despite the remoteness of the North Water, Northwest Greenland, the local Inughuit population is affected by global anthropogenic pollution and climate change. Using a cross-disciplinary approach combining Mercury (Hg) analysis, catch information, and historical and anthropological perspectives, this article elucidates how the traditional diet is compromised by Hg pollution originating from lower latitudes. In a new approach we here show how the Inughuits in Avanersuaq are subject to high Hg exposure from the hunted traditional food, consisting of mainly marine seabirds and mammals. Violation of the provisional tolerably yearly intake of Hg, on average by a factor of 11 (range 7-15) over the last 20 years as well as the provisional tolerably monthly intake by a factor of 6 (range 2-16), raises health concerns. The surplus of Selenium (Se) in wildlife tissues including narwhals showed Se:Hg molar ratios of 1.5, 2.3, and 16.7 in muscle, liver, and mattak, respectively, likely to provide some protection against the high Hg exposure.