Botulism is a medical condition that is due to a toxin that is produced by Clostridium botulinum. This group of bacteria is found in soil and marine sediments. In some rare cases, the condition is caused by Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii. There are three common types of this disease, foodborne botulism, wound and infant botulism. Foodborne botulism comes about after ingesting food that contain botulism toxin. This is the first type of disease that has been identified. About 1000 cases of foodborne botulism are reported each year. Wound botulism, the second type, is caught when a wound that has the bacteria produces the toxin. The third type, infant botulism is due to the consumption of spores of the bacteria. This will then develop in the intestines and release the toxin. About 60 cases of this have been reported each year. There also have been other types of botulism that have been identified. One of this is the adult intestinal colonization botulism. This occurs in older children and adults with abnormal bowel conditions. The other types of botulism are injection-related botulism and inhalation botulism. The latter is the cause of accidental inhalation usually by the laboratory workers. This type of botulism however has been considered a harmful threat to society as it can be used for poison delivery in a bioterrorist attack. There have even been investigations of this bacteria used as a biological weapon by different nations.
Some of the symptoms that this disease carries out are double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. For children suffering from botulism, they may suffer constipation, poor muscle tone, weariness and lack of appetite. In cases of foodborne botulism, the symptoms usually manifest 18 to 36 hours after ingesting the toxin. If not treated immediately, botulism may cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and respiratory muscles. It may even cause death due to respiratory failure.
For foodborne botulism, these are usually caused by home-processed food. They constitute about 94% of the cases this type of botulism. For infant botulism on the other hand, the underlying cause may be because of the ingestion of honey. Infants with higher birth weights tend to be more at risk than those who are not. Decreased frequency of bowel movements is also another factor that contributes to the development of botulism. once diagnosed as having botulism, different treatments are available for the patient. In the case of foodborne botulism, an antitoxin will be prescribed to remedy the symptoms. The removal of the contaminated food still in the gut may also be another option. If the contamination has occurred only within the past few hours, emetics or gastric lavage may help in the removal of the toxin. In cases of contamination for 16-23 days, an intubation is done. Tracheostomy is sometimes done though usually it is no longer needed. In cases of wound botulism, antitoxins will also be prescribed. This is to stop the circulation of the toxin into the blood. The wounds should also be treated or surgically removed to rid the body of the toxin-producing bacteria.
