A 14-year-old with botulism, characterised by weakness of the eye muscles and the drooping eyelids shown in the left image, and dilated and non-moving pupils shown in the right image. This youth was fully conscious.
Proper food preparation, no honey for children younger than one
Treatment
Antitoxin, antibiotics, mechanical ventilation
Prognosis
~7.5% risk of death
Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, blurred vision, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakness of the arms, chest muscles, and legs. Vomiting, swelling of the abdomen, and diarrhea may also occur. The disease does not usually affect consciousness or cause a fever.
Botulism can occur in several ways. The bacterial spores which cause it are common in both soil and water and are very resistant. They produce the botulinum toxin when exposed to low oxygen levels and certain temperatures. Foodborne botulism happens when food containing the toxin is eaten. Infant botulism instead happens when the bacterium develops in the intestines and releases the toxin. This typically only occurs in children less than one year old, as protective mechanisms against development of the bacterium develop after that age. Wound botulism is found most often among those who inject street drugs. In this situation, spores enter a wound, and in the absence of oxygen, release the toxin. The disease is not passed directly between people. Its diagnosis is confirmed by finding the toxin or bacteria in the person in question.
Prevention is primarily by proper food preparation. The toxin, though not the spores, are destroyed by heating it to more than 85 °C (185 °F) for longer than five minutes. The clostridial spores can be destroyed in the autoclave with moist heat (120°C/ 250°F for at least 15 minutes) or dry heat (160°C for 2 hours) or by irradiation. The spores of group I strains are inactivated by heating at 121°C (250°F) for 3 minutes during commercial canning. Spores of group II strains are less heat-resistant, and they are often damaged by 90°C (194°F) for 10 minutes, 85°C for 52 minutes, or 80°C for 270 minutes; however, these treatments may not be sufficient in some foods.[1] Honey can contain the organism, and for this reason, honey should not be fed to children under 12 months. Treatment is with an antitoxin. In those who lose their ability to breathe on their own, mechanical ventilation may be necessary for months. Antibiotics may be used for wound botulism. Death occurs in 5 to 10% of people. Botulism also affects many other animals. The word is from Latin botulus, meaning 'sausage'.
^Center for Food Security and Public Health Iowa State University (19 February 2024). "Botulism" (PDF).
Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, blurred...
junction, thus causing flaccid paralysis. The toxin causes the disease botulism. The toxin is also used commercially for medical and cosmetic purposes...
foodborne botulism (ingestion of preformed toxin), infant botulism (intestinal infection with toxin-forming C. botulinum), and wound botulism (infection...
Foodborne botulism results from contaminated foodstuffs in which C. botulinum spores have been allowed to germinate and produce botulism toxin, and this...
2013). "Botulism From 'Pruno' Hits Arizona Prison (7 February 2013)". NPR. Retrieved 15 February 2013. Hensley, Scott (5 October 2012). "Botulism Outbreak...
adenoviruses, among others. The Clostridium botulinum bacteria are the cause of botulism. Vegetative cells of C. botulinum may be ingested. Introduction of the...
Avian Botulism is a strain of botulism that affects wild and captive bird populations, most notably waterfowl. This is a paralytic disease brought on by...
The Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) - (Equine) (trade name BAT), made by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc. (formerly Cangene Corporation)...
Michigan, where he led the response to the country's, at the time, worst botulism outbreak. He was later moved to Guinea to support efforts on smallpox eradication...
people died in 1919 from botulism from improperly canned black olives produced in California. Two women died in 1963 from botulism from canned tuna fish...
potentially increasing the risks of food borne illnesses like botulism. However, botulism in vegetable ferments is only possible when not properly canned...
The Loch Maree Hotel botulism poisoning of 1922 was the first recorded outbreak of botulism in the United Kingdom. Eight people died, with the resulting...
Juice" and other Bolthouse Farms products because of several cases of botulism resulting from consumption of the products. On September 29, 2006, the...
pasteurize the meat. Pasteurization kills the botulism bacteria, but the possibility of hardy botulism spores surviving and reactivating once cool remains...
antitoxin remains the only specific pharmacologic treatment available for botulism. Antitoxin also known as heterologous hyperimmune serum is often also given...
June 2017, when they announced he had fallen into a coma as a result of botulism and a sleeping pill. He was freed later that month, still in a comatose...
the ingredient list, with many raising concerns that the sauce may cause botulism. TikTok users also pointed out that the sauce was not approved by the Food...
has witnessed a steady increase of cases of botulism since 1985. It has more cases of foodborne botulism than any other state in the United States of...
Drug Administration (FDA) after initial tests suggested the presence of botulism-causing bacteria in a batch of canned mushrooms. Fabbrini decided to ceremonially...
nitrate kills Clostridium botulinum, the deadly bacterium that causes botulism, while the acidity of the vinegar inhibits its growth. According to the...
Junction railway station and RSRTC bus stand. Rajasthan government confirms botulism killed thousands of birds at Sambhar Lake in Jaipur - INDIA TODAY; https://www...
expose consumers to botulism and other kinds of food poisoning if done incorrectly. The most common source of food-borne botulism is home-canned foods...
remained the public conscience until the late 60s and early 70s. Outside of Botulism(which has been well known since the early 1900s and killed often at the...
several significant human pathogens, including the causative agents of botulism and tetanus. It also formerly included an important cause of diarrhea,...
pathogenic microorganisms. Sodium nitrites are used to prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria and listeria monocytogenes, as well as imparting desirable...
contaminants. Consumption of muktuk has also been associated with outbreaks of botulism. Transliterations of "muktuk", and other terms for the skin and blubber...
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