The following question, “What is the most poisonous toxin?”, comes from Allison in Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s class.
The most poisonous toxin is botulinum toxin. The toxin was discovered in Germany in the late 18th century when it caused food poisoning from a bad sausage.
Botulinum toxin is created by bacteria called clostridium botulinum under anaerobic (low oxygen) conditions. Exposure to botulinum toxin usually occurs from improperly canned food. When ingested it causes a potentially fatal illness called botulism. It doesn’t take much to be lethal — less than one nanogram. However, it is very rare, with less than one in 10 million people affected each year because high pressure and temperatures reached through boiling can kill the bacteria.
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