$Unique_ID{PAR00028}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Botulism}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Botulism Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Abdominal pain Double vision
Dilated pupils speaking swallowing Difficulties breathing Difficulty Paralysis
food poisoning Clostridium botulinum}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Botulism


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Nausea
     - Vomiting
     - Diarrhea
     - Abdominal pain
     - Double vision (12 to 48 hours after start of pain)
     - Dilated pupils
     - Difficulty in speaking, swallowing, and breathing
     - Paralysis

     IMPORTANT
     - Botulism poisoning can be fatal.  If you suspect botulism, get medical
       help immediately.

     HOME CARE
     - None.  Call your doctor immediately.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Do not give infants unwashed, unpeeled raw foods or improperly cooked
       foods.
     - Do not give infants honey.
     - Do not use food from damaged or dented store-bought cans.
     - Certain home-preserved foods (for example, vegetables and meats) should
       be reheated for ten minutes at a temperature of at least 180 degrees_F
       before eating because of the danger of botulism.
     - Remember that foods contaminated with botulism look, taste, and smell
       normal.
     - When canning and preserving food at home, follow directions for
       preparing and sterilizing exactly.


     Botulism is a specific type of food poisoning.  Botulism is caused by the
toxin (poison) produced by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that is related
to the tetanus germ and that is prevalent everywhere.  The botulism germ grows
in anaerobic (without oxygen) environments (such as tightly closed jars that
have not been properly sterilized).  Botulism is primarily caused by eating
improperly prepared canned or preserved foods that have not been adequately
reheated.  The foods most likely to cause poisoning are seafood, mushrooms,
meat, and vegetables.  The toxin and germs are undetectable outside the
laboratory.  Foods contaminated with botulism may look, smell, and taste
normal.
     With improvements in commercial food preparation and the decline in home
canning in the first half of the 20th century, botulism had become a rare
illness in the United States.  With the increased interest in home canning and
"natural" foods (those without preservatives), botulism is threatening a
comeback.
     Adults and children past infancy can be poisoned by botulism only if they
eat food in which the botulism germ has already formed the toxin.  Recent
cases of fatal botulism among infants, however, suggest that the botulism germ
can grow in an infant's immature intestines to form the dangerous toxin within
the infant's body.  The only natural food so far identified as a source of
botulism germs for infants is honey.  Therefore, you should not give honey to
an infant.  Other raw or improperly cooked foods may eventually be identified
as potential sources of the germ.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Symptoms of botulism are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
followed in 12 to 48 hours by double vision, dilated pupils, and difficulty in
speaking, swallowing, and breathing.  There is no fever and no loss of
awareness or alertness.  Death may result.
     Suspect botulism if your infant has symptoms within a week of eating raw
or home-prepared foods.  Suspect the disease if more than one member of your
family develops similar symptoms after eating the same food.  If symptoms of
stomach or intestinal upset are followed by paralysis that starts at the eyes
and moves downward, botulism may be the cause.  Home diagnosis, however, is
totally unreliable.  Consult your doctor immediately if symptoms of botulism
occur.

HOME CARE

     None.  Call your doctor immediately if you suspect botulism.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Do not give babies unwashed, unpeeled raw foods or improperly cooked
     foods.
  -  Do not give honey to infants.
  -  Do not use foods that come in damaged or dented store-bought cans.
     Damaged cans may have leaks through which the botulism germ can enter
     the food.
  -  Certain home-preserved foods (for example, vegetables and meats) should
     be reheated for ten minutes at a temperature of at least 180 degrees_F
     before eating because of the danger of botulism.
  -  When canning or preserving foods at home, follow preparation and
     sterilization directions carefully.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Diagnosis is made by identifying the toxin in samples of the food eaten
and in the patient's stomach contents, stools, and blood.  Treatment includes
injection of the antitoxin (a substance that counteracts the effects of the
poison).  Stomach washing, laxatives and enemas, antibiotic therapy, and
hospitalization may be necessary.  Immunization to prevent botulism is
available, but only for persons at high risk.

RELATED TOPICS:  Dehydration; Diarrhea in older children; Diarrhea in young
children; Dysentery; Food poisoning; Vomiting