Botulism is a rare but severe ailment that can be transmitted via food, contaminated soil or via an open wound. If the condition is not treated early, it can progress to paralysis, breathing issues and even death.
Forms of botulism
- Foodborne
- Infant
- Wound
Botulism is due to the toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Even though common, the bacteria can only flourish in environments where there is lack of oxygen. Certain sources of food such as home-canned goods serve as the ideal breeding ground.
Indications of botulism
The indications of botulism can arise from 6 hours up to 10 days after the initial infection. Generally, the symptoms of foodborne and infant botulism arise between 12-36 hours after ingesting contaminated food.
The initial signs of infant botulism include:
- Difficulty feeding
- Constipation
- Weak cry
- Irritability
- Tiredness
- Drooping eyelids
- Drooling
- Loss of head control and floppy movements due to muscular weakness
- Paralysis
Indications of wound or foodborne botulism include:
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Drooping eyelids
- Facial weakness on both sides of the face
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
- Difficulty breathing
- Paralysis
Management of botulism
For wound and foodborne botulism, an antitoxin is administered by the doctor as soon as possible after diagnosis. Among infants, the treatment is called as botulism immune globulin which blocks the action of the neurotoxins that circulate in the blood.
In severe cases, a ventilator might be required to support breathing. The recovery period might take weeks or months. Long-term therapy and rehabilitation might be required in severe cases.
Preventive measures
In most instances, botulism can be prevented. The risk can be lowered with the following measures:
- Follow the correct techniques when canning food at home, ensuring that the right heat and acidic levels are reached.
- Be careful with any fermented fish or other aquatic game foods
- Refrigerate oils that are infused with herbs or garlic
- Discard any opened or distended cans of commercially prepared food
- Potatoes that are cooked and wrapped with aluminum foil can create an environment free from oxygen where botulism can thrive. They should stay hot or stored in a refrigerator right away.
- Boil foods for 10 minutes to eliminate the botulism toxin.
As a vital consideration, do not feed an infant with honey or even corn syrup since these might include Clostridium botulinum spores.