Botulism
Botulism (Latin, botulus, "sausage") is a rare, but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinic toxin is one of the most powerful known, with a lethal dose of a microgram. It acts by blocking nerve function and leads to respiratory and musculoskeletal paralysis.
There are three main kinds of botulism:
- Foodborne botulism is a form of foodborne illness and is caused by eating foods that contain the botulinum toxin.
- Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin.
- Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. This is the rarest type of botulism.
All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodborne botulism can be especially dangerous as a public health problem because many people can be poisoned from a single contaminated food source.
In the United States an average of 110 cases of botulism are reported each year. Of these, approximately 25% are foodborne, 72% are infant botulism, and 3% are wound botulism. Outbreaks of foodborne botulism involving two or more persons occur during most years and usually are caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods. The number of cases of foodborne and infant botulism has changed little in recent years, but wound botulism has increased because of the use of black tar heroin, especially in California There is a recent case of botulism in Canada involving Great Value brand (Walmart) chili.