Botulism

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Botulism toxin (poison) produced by Clostridium Botulism bacteria.

The name botulism is derived from the Latin term ‘botulus’ for sausage.

The first botulism outbreak historian know of occurred in 1793 in the town of Wildbad, Germany. Thirteen people shared a meal of blood sausage, soon became very sick, vomited, their speech thickened, some of them partially paralyzed. At the end six people died.

Hundred years later in 1895 in Ellezelles, Belgium, among a group of amateur musicians, thirty four people became sick and three died as a result of this outbreak.

This toxin affects the nerves and if untreated, can cause paralysis and respiratory failure.

There are three main kinds of botulism:
*Food borne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin
*Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulism
*Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spires of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin.

U.S. health care providers report an average of 110 cases of food, infant, and wound Botulism to CDC each year with about 10 to 30 outbreaks of food-borne Botulism reported every year.

Although this illness does not occur frequently, it can be fatal if not treated quickly and properly. Food borne botulism can be especially dangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food.

Transmission of C. botulism: often, cases of food-borne Botulism come from home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets, and corn.

Clostridium botulism is anaerobic, which means it can survive and grow with little or no oxygen.

Therefore, it can survive very well in sealed containers. Unusual sources, Chili peppers, tomatoes and improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil are unusual sources that often cause outbreaks of this disease.

It is spore-forming organism that elaborates a neurotoxin that prevents the release of acetylcholine.

Illness developed after toxin exposure, and patients present with a symmetric descending paralysis that characteristically begins with dysarthria, diplopia, dysphonia or dysphagia.

What are the most common neurologic symptoms of food borne Botulism?
• Double vision and drooping eyelids
• Slurred speech
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Weak muscles are symptoms in including muscle of respiration.

These symptoms can easily be confused and over looked as food poisoning in older people or children.

Symptoms of food borne Botulism usually begin within 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food, but can occur in as few as 6 hours or as much as 10 days afterward.

Patients developing severe botulism experience breathing failure, paralysis. The treatment for advanced cases is ventilators or breathing machines.

Every case of botulism is considered a public health emergency. If there suspected case of botulism, the local state health department should be notified.
Botulism