Botulism
Botulism is a bacterial illness caused by the bacterial toxins found in Clostridium Botulinum. Botulism is rare but life-threatening as it causes paralysis of the breathing muscles and respiratory failure. Due to the severity of the condition, botulism is treated as a medical emergency. There are three main forms of botulism:
- Infant
- Foodborne
- Wound
Symptoms of Botulism
The symptoms of botulism vary depending on the type of botulism contracted. They are as follows:
Infant Botulism
The symptoms of infant botulism usually appear between 18 and 36 hours after exposure to the toxin, if the toxin is foodborne. Symptoms may include:
- Constipation
- Muscle weakness
- Drooling
- Weak crying
- Crankiness
- Exhaustion
- Paralysis
- Difficulty sucking or feeding
Foodborne Botulism
The symptoms of foodborne botulism usually appear between 18 and 36 hours after exposure to the toxin. Symptoms include:
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Blurry or double vision
- Difficulty breathing
- Paralysis
Wound Botulism
Wound botulism is usually found in intravenous drug users so the determination of when symptoms appear is difficult to determine. Symptoms include:
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing
- Weakness
- Blurry or double vision
- Difficulty breathing
- Paralysis
Causes of Botulism
The causes of botulism vary depending on the type of botulinum toxin. Usually the causes are as follows:
Infant Botulism
Infant botulism usually occurs after the infant consumes a source of the toxin. The sources of infant botulism can be found in honey or exposure to soil that has been contaminated with the toxin.
Foodborne Botulism
Foodborne botulism most often occurs as a result of consuming home canned foods that are low in acids. Botulism has also been found in other foods such as oil infused with garlic, baked potatoes, tomatoes, and chili peppers.
Wound Botulism
Wound botulism may occur when the toxin infects a wound although it appears more often in users of heroin, which contains botulism spores.
Diagnosis of Botulism
The physician will check for signs of muscle weakness and paralysis, among the other symptoms for botulism. Tests for the toxin can be identified by testing the blood, stool and body fluids. If botulism is suspected treatment will begin right away.
Treatment of Botulism
Treatment for botulism depends on the type of toxin, but may include medication that expels the toxin from the body or an injection of antitoxin to prevent the toxin from circulating in the blood. If there is breathing difficulty, a ventilator may be needed until the toxin leaves the body. Based on the health of the patient and severity of the condition, the physician will determine the most appropriate treatment.
Once treatment has been completed and the toxin removed from the body, rehabilitative treatments to restore speech, swallowing and other functions that may have been affected by the disease may be necessary.