BOTULISM

Botulism is a public health emergency. It is a life-threatening illness that causes respiratory failure and paralysis. The C. botulinum bacteria and spores that cause the illness make a potent toxin, which is the most poisonous substance known. Once in the body, the toxin binds to nerve endings. The toxin prevents the nerves from signaling the muscles to contract. The result is weakness and paralysis starting from the head down and finally damaging the muscles that regulate breathing.

Symptoms of botulism:

fatigue
difficulty swallowing
dry mouth
muscle weakness
double or blurred vision
drooping eyelids and
slurred speech

There are three types of botulism. All can cause death and are considered medical emergencies. Without treatment, symptoms may progress to paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk, and breathing muscles.

Eating contaminated foods that contain the botulinum toxin causes foodborne botulism. Not properly heating food during canning may cause the food to be contaminated. Symptoms may begin in a few hours or a few days. Almost any type of food that is not very acidic (pH above 4.6) can support the growth of the botulism toxin. These foods include asparagus, green beans, beets, and corn. Other unusual sources include homemade salsa, cheese sauce, chopped garlic in oil, chile peppers, tomatoes, improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, and home-canned or fermented fish.

In the United States, safe canning and food manufacturing processes have controlled foodborne botulism from commercial foods. Commercial canned foods are heated to a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to kill the spores. Unheated commercial foods in cans or jars are made safe by acidification or other processes that prevent the growth of the spores.

Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the bacteria that then grow in the intestines and release toxin. About 70 percent of all botulism cases are infant botulism. Infants with botulism are lethargic, feed poorly, lose head control, are constipated, have a weak cry, and poor muscle tone. Children less than 12 months old should not be fed honey because honey can contain the spores. Honey is safe for older children and adults.

The toxin produced from a wound contaminated with the C. botulinum bacteria causes wound botulism. It can be prevented by promptly seeking medical care for infected wounds and by not using injectable street drugs.

Primary treatment for foodborne and wound botulism includes:

antitoxin therapy (Antitoxin is not given to infants.)
careful monitoring of the respiratory system (In cases of breathing failure and paralysis, a breathing machine is necessary for many weeks.) and
intensive care for the paralysis

Prompt diagnosis and early treatment of botulism are needed to reduce the great risk of death.

How can botulism be prevented?

do not feed honey to children less than 1 year old
do not let children eat dirt
when canning food at home, keep everything clean, wash your hands well and thoroughly heat food to prevent food contamination
boil home-canned foods for 10 minutes before eating them to ensure safety
promptly seek medical care for infected wounds and
do not use injectable street drugs

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File PREP4329.RF2 VRS# 4329 Data Version 7.0