Botulism

Botulism is a serious illness can result in death due to respiratory failure. A nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum causes botulism. In the U.S. botulism is rare, about 110 cases a year, but it is fatal in about 8% of cases. There are three types of botulism. Food borne botulism accounts for about 25 percent of all cases and is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism only accounts for about 3% of reported cases and is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is the most common form with about 72% of cases. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin.

Symptoms (Adults)

Double vision or blurred vision
Drooping eyelids
Slurred speech
Difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness

Symptoms (Infants)

Lethargic appearance
Constipation
Weak cry and poor muscle tone.

These are all symptoms of the muscle paralysis caused by the bacterial toxin. If untreated, these symptoms may progress to cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and respiratory muscles.

Prevention

Food borne botulism typically comes from home-canned foods with low acid content, like asparagus, green beans, beets and corn. However, outbreaks of botulism have also been reported from sources such as chopped garlic in oil, Chile peppers, tomatoes, improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, and home-canned or fermented fish. People who do home canning can reduce the risk of contamination by adhering to rigid hygienic procedures. Oils infused with garlic or herbs should be refrigerated. Potatoes that have been baked while wrapped in aluminum foil should be kept hot until served or refrigerated. High temperatures will kill the botulism toxin, so people who eat home-canned foods are advised to boil food for 10 minutes before eating. Children under a year old should not be fed honey because honey can contain spores of botulism toxin. Honey has been known to be a source of infection for infants, however honey is safe for children 1 year and older. Wound botulism is usually prevented by quickly seeking medical attention for infected wounds and by avoiding injectable street drugs.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

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