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Botulism

[Ba-cha-lism]

Clostridium botulinum

Botulism is a rare, but serious illness caused by a germ called Clostridium botulinum. When the toxin gets into somebody’s bloodstream it blocks the release of a neurotransmitter between nerves and muscles and this is actually what causes botulism. This affects your cranial nerves and may result in people having symptoms like problems opening their eyes, moving their eyes, and swallowing. If botulism is left untreated, people can go on to have paralysis of their limbs, respiratory failure, and even death. Find out key facts about botulism and how to prevent it.

Quiz

Key Facts

  • Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness that often affects previously healthy people.
  • Botulism is caused by botulinum toxin, the most potent known toxin.
  • Botulinum toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum only under certain specific conditions that only occur rarely.
  • Even taking a small taste of food containing botulinum toxin can cause botulism.
  • Categories of botulism include foodborne, wound, infant, adult intestinal colonization, and iatrogenic.

Media

  • Jars of food

    Foodborne botulism is often from home-canned foods and is caused by not following home-canning instructions. Commercially, canned foods purchased in retail establishments are a much less likely source of botulism because modern commercial canning uses processes that kill C. botulinum spores.

  • Fermented Fish

    Foodborne botulism can be caused by food that is not kept refrigerated. In Alaska, foodborne botulism is often caused by traditional Alaska native foods, including fermented fish, because of the way these foods are sometimes prepared.

  • Honey

    Honey is only associated with botulism in infants. Honey can contain C. botulinum, so children younger than 12 months old should not be fed honey in order to prevent infant botulism from happening.

  • Botulinum Injection

    Because botulinum toxin is injected, people can get botulism if the dose is too high. And when it does happen, it's called iatrogenic botulism.

Botulism Podcast

Prevention Tips

  • Foodborne botulism can be prevented by strictly following home-canning guidelines, being careful to refrigerate foods that are supposed to be refrigerated, and not consuming unrefrigerated items, and strictly following the instructions on labels.

  • Wound botulism can be prevented by immediately seeking medical care for infected wounds and by not using injectable street drugs.

  • Honey can contain C. botulinum, so children younger than 12 months old should not be fed honey in order to prevent infant botulism from happening.

  • Iatrogenic botulism can occur from accidental overdose of botulinum toxin. It can be prevented by avoiding high doses of the toxin during medical treatments.

  • Botulinum antitoxin is most helpful if administered early during the patient’s illness, so it’s really important that physicians get the antitoxin as soon as possible when they find out about a patient’s illness.

  • Physicians who suspect botulism in a patient should immediately contact their health department so that an investigation can be started and also so that they can get antitoxin from CDC.

More at CDC.gov

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