Botulism and Food poisoning

The bacterium Clostridium botulinum is responsible for causing the rare but serious illness botulism. According to the CDC, the three main types of botulism are foodborne, wound, and infant botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism, which is very rare, is caused by a toxin produced from a wound infected with C. botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of botulinum bacteria, which grow in a child's intestines.

All forms of botulism can be deadly and are considered medical emergencies. Symptoms of botulism include:

» Blurred vision
» Double vision
» Droopy eyelids
» Slowed or slurred speech
» Difficulty swallowing
» Dry mouth
» Muscle weakness

In infants with botulism the symptoms include:
» Poor feeding habits
» Constipation
» Weak crying
» Lethargy
» Poor muscle tone

If these symptoms are untreated, they may lead to paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk, and respiratory muscles. Symptoms of foodborne botulism usually develop 18 to 36 hours after consuming contaminated food, but symptoms can occur as early as six hours or as late as a week to 10 days.

                                PREVENTING BOTULISM INFECTION.
 
Although there are very few cases of botulism poisoning each year, prevention is extremely important. According to the CDC, foodborne botulism has often been linked to home-canned foods with a low acid content. These foods include asparagus, green beans, beets, and corn.

People have also become infected from other sources including chopped garlic in oil, chili peppers, tomatoes, improperly handled baked potatoes cooked in aluminum foil, and home-canned or fermented fish (such as sardines). Persons who can their own food should follow strict canning procedures to reduce contamination of foods.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Honey should not be given to children younger than 12 months of age, as it can contain spores of C. botulinum and is known to cause infant botulism.

                       DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF BOTULISM.

A diagnosis of botulism is made by the presence of appropriate symptoms of nerve weakness and by lab tests that detect the toxin or by culture of C. botulinum from the person's stool.

The respiratory failure (inability to breathe) and paralysis that occur with severe botulism may require intensive medical and nursing care in a hospital.

If diagnosed in its early stages, foodborne botulism can be treated with an antitoxin medication. Your doctor may also try to remove any contaminated food left in the digestive system by inducing vomiting or by using enemas.

Infants infected with the bacteria require hospitalization and possibly care in an intensive care unit. The botulism antitoxin is not recommended for infants.

SOURCE:
WebMD