Botulism

Uploaded by mumsa1 on Mar 14, 2012

Botulism is a paralytic illness. It is serious but rare.

In this article:

What is botulism?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

How Chemist Online can help

Advice & Support

What is botulism?

Botulism causes flaccid paralysis of the muscles.

There are three types of botulism:

Food-borne botulism: This is botulism caused by bacteria contaminating food (i.e. food kept in cans, tins, jars and also foods preserved in oil). The contamination is usually due to a fault or improper practice in the canning or preservation process. The onset of symptoms occurs when you digest the food as your body reacts to the spores of the organism Clostridium Botulinum – the bacteria that is at the core of botulism.

Wound botulism: Where the spores of the Clostridium Botulinum organism infects an open wound and then multiplies (massively reproduces within the wound and, to a certain degree, beneath the skin in the wound’s surrounding area). This can often occur to drug users injecting Class A drugs (e.g., heroin) into muscle tissue.

Infant botulism: This is rare, but occurs where an infant (usually before they have reached 12 months) somehow consumes the spores of the Clostridium Botulinum bacteria/organism. Once the child reaches its first birthday, its body will then develop a defence mechanism against the spores.

Symptoms

Symptoms of botulism in adults include:

Muscle paralysis

Dry mouth and throat

Droopy eyelids

Headache, blurred vision and double vision

Speech and breathing difficulties

Weak muscles (resulting in poor grip, for example)

Constipation

Nausea and vomiting

Abdominal pain

Symptoms in botulism in children include:

Constipation

A flat facial expression

Irritability

Lethargy

Floppiness

Breathing problems

Muscle weakness

Weak sucking

Feeble crying

Reduced movement

Swallowing problems

Excessive drooling

Causes

The Clostridium Botulinum bacteria can be found in soil and foods, such as honey and corn.

Diagnosis

If you (or your baby) are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and think that you may have developed botulism, seek immediate medical treatment. Also call 999 and ask for an ambulance if you suspect that someone you know may be suffering from botulism.

At your local (or nearest) hospital: After taking your medical history, asking you some questions about your symptoms and carrying out a physical examination, you will be asked to undergo either an MRI scan or a CT scan. Based upon the results, a confirmed diagnosis will/may be made. These tests (as well as a possible spinal tap test where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is taken from your lower back) will also help to rule out other possible health conditions, such as Guillian-Barre Syndrome, mild heart attack or stroke – all of which have similar...