March 23, 2023 | Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death. This toxin is made by Clostridium botulinum and sometimes Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii bacteria. The bacteria that make botulinum toxin are found naturally in many places, but it’s rare for them to make people sick. These bacteria make spores, which act like protective coatings. Spores help the bacteria survive in the environment, even in extreme conditions. The spores usually do not cause people to become sick, even when they’re eaten. But under certain conditions, these spores can grow and make one of the most lethal toxins known. For example, improperly home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods can provide the right conditions for spores to grow and make botulinum toxin. When people eat these foods, they can become seriously ill or even die.

March 23, 2023 | There are three common forms of botulism, a serious illness caused by a toxin made by bacteria. With foodborne botulism, the harmful bacteria thrive and make the toxin in environments with little oxygen, such as in home-canned food. With wound botulism, the bacteria get into a cut, where they can cause a dangerous infection that makes the toxin. As for infant botulism, this most generic form of the disease begins after spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria grow in a baby’s intestinal tract. It typically occurs in babies between the ages of two and eight months. In rare cases, this form of intestinal botulism also affects adults. Occasionally, botulism happens when too much botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic or medical reasons. This rare form is called iatrogenic botulism. “Iatrogenic” means an illness caused by a medical exam or treatment. Another rare form of botulism can occur from inhaling toxins. This may happen as the result of bioterrorism.

March 23, 2023 | The signs of botulism can vary depending on the form of the disease. Foodborne botulism symptoms typically begin 12 to 36 hours after the toxin gets into your body. But depending on how much toxin you consumed, the start of symptoms may range from a few hours to a few days. With the foodborne version, a person may have trouble swallowing, blurred vision or facial weakness on both sides of the face. Wound botulism symptoms can include drooping eyelids, trouble speaking or even paralysis. In infant botulism, problems generally begin 18 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the baby’s body. Constipation is often the first symptom, followed by trouble sucking or feeding and floppy movements due to muscle weakness and trouble controlling the head. Certain symptoms don’t typically occur with botulism. For example, botulism doesn’t usually raise blood pressure or heart rate or cause fever although wound botulism may cause fever.

March 23, 2023 | Botulism is caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death. Doctors treat botulism with a drug called an antitoxin, which prevents the toxin from causing any more harm. Antitoxin does not heal the damage the toxin has already done. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, you may need to stay in the hospital for weeks or even months before you are well enough to go home. If your disease is severe, you may have breathing problems. You may even have respiratory failure if the toxin paralyzes the muscles involved in breathing. If that happens, your doctor may put you on a ventilator until you can breathe on your own. The paralysis caused by the toxin usually improves slowly. The care you receive in the hospital is to help you recover. People with wound botulism sometimes need surgery to remove the source of the bacteria and may need to take antibiotics.

March 23, 2023 | There are a number of steps you can take to avoid the spread of foodborne botulism, which can happen by eating foods that have been contaminated with botulinum toxin. For instance, always pressure-cook home-canned foods at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 100 minutes, depending on the food. And think about boiling these foods for 10 minutes before serving them. Don’t eat preserved food if its container is bulging or if the food smells bad. If you wrap potatoes in foil before baking, eat them hot. Loosen the foil and store the potatoes in the refrigerator, not at room temperature. Seek urgent medical care if you suspect that you have botulism. Initial treatment increases your survival chances and lowers your risk of complications. Getting medical care quickly can also alert public health officials about episodes of foodborne botulism. Although botulism can’t spread from person to person, they may be able to keep others from eating contaminated food.