3. 1. A rare poisoning caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum
bacteria.
2. Botulism can be fatal and requires emergency medical care. It can
occur in infants, be spread in food or infect a wound.
3. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing or speaking, facial weakness
and paralysis.
4. Extremely rare
5. Fewer than 5 thousand cases per year (India)
4. TYPES ……
Three common forms of botulism are:
1. Foodborne botulism. The harmful bacteria thrive and produce the
toxin in environments with little oxygen, such as in canned food.
Person to person transmission doesn’t occur.
5. 2)Wound botulism. It is a rare but serious illness that happens when a
germ called Clostridium botulinum gets into a wound and makes a
toxin. This toxin attacks body's nerves, which can make it hard to
breathe and can cause muscle weakness and even death.
6. 3)Infant botulism. This most common form of botulism begins after
Clostridium botulinum bacterial spores grow in a baby's intestinal tract.
It typically occurs in babies between the ages of 2 months and 8
months.
7. Symptoms……..
Foodborne botulism
Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin between 12 and 36 hours
after the toxin gets into your body. But, depending on how much toxin was
consumed, the start of symptoms may range from a few hours to a few days. Signs
and symptoms of foodborne botulism include:
I. Difficulty swallowing or speaking
II. Dry mouth
III. Facial weakness on both sides of the face
IV. Blurred or double vision
V. Drooping eyelids
VI. Trouble breathing
VII. Nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
VIII. Paralysis
8. Wound botulism
Signs and symptoms of wound botulism appear about 10 days after the toxin
has entered the body. Wound botulism signs and symptoms include:
I. Difficulty swallowing or speaking
II. Facial weakness on both sides of the face
III. Blurred or double vision
IV. Drooping eyelids
V. Trouble breathing
VI. Paralysis
VII. The wound may or may not appear red and swollen.
9. Infant botulism
If infant botulism is related to food, such as honey, problems generally begin within
18 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the baby's body.
Signs and symptoms include:
I. Constipation, which is often the first sign
II. Floppy movements due to muscle weakness and trouble controlling the head
III. Weak cry
IV. Irritability
V. Drooling
VI. Drooping eyelids
VII. Tiredness
VIII. Difficulty sucking or feeding
IX. Paralysis
10. •Prevention
1) Use proper canning techniques
2) Be sure to use proper techniques when canning foods at home to ensure
that any botulism germs in the food are destroyed:
3) Pressure-cook these foods at 250 F (121 C) for 20 to 100 minutes,
depending on the food.
4) Consider boiling these foods for 10 minutes before serving them.
5) Prepare and store food safely
6) Don't eat preserved food if its container is bulging or if the food smells
spoiled. However, taste and smell won't always give away the presence of
C. botulinum. Some strains don't make food smell bad or taste unusual.
11. Treatment…..
For cases of foodborne botulism, doctors sometimes clear out the
digestive system by inducing vomiting and giving medications to induce
bowel movements. If you have botulism in a wound, a doctor may need
to remove infected tissue surgically.
12. Antitoxin
• If diagnosed early with foodborne or wound botulism, injected
antitoxin reduces the risk of complications. The antitoxin attaches itself
to toxin that's still circulating in your bloodstream and keeps it from
harming your nerves.
• The antitoxin cannot, however, reverse the damage that's been done.
Fortunately, nerves do regenerate. Many people recover fully, but it
may take months and extended rehabilitation therapy.
• A different type of antitoxin, known as botulism immune globulin, is
used to treat infants.
13. Antibiotics
• Antibiotics are recommended for the treatment of wound botulism.
However, these medications are not advised for other types of botulism
because they can speed up the release of toxins.
Breathing assistance
• If having trouble breathing, you'll probably need a mechanical
ventilator for as long as several weeks as the effects of the toxin
gradually lessen. The ventilator forces air into your lungs through a
tube inserted in your airway through your nose or mouth.
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