Who is prone to be affected by botulism?
Who is at risk for botulism? Everyone is at risk for foodborne botulism, especially those who eat home-canned, low-acid foods. Drug users, especially those who use black-tar heroin, may be at risk of wound botulism. Infants younger than 12 months who are fed honey are at risk of infant botulism.
What muscle groups are affected by botulism?
Symptoms of botulism usually start with weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, face, mouth, and throat. This weakness may spread to the neck, arms, torso, and legs. Botulism also can weaken the muscles involved in breathing, which can lead to difficulty breathing and even death.
What organisms does botulism infect?
Animals that can be affected by botulism toxin include cattle, sheep, horses, mink, and ferrets. Outbreaks in waterfowl are common. Dogs and pigs rarely get botulism and illness in cats has not been reported.
What is the most common form of botulism?
The most common form of botulism in the United States, infant botulism, is caused when ingested C. botulinum spores colonize and subsequently produce toxin in the intestines of affected infants.
What foods commonly carry botulism?
The botulinum toxin has been found in a variety of foods, including low-acid preserved vegetables, such as green beans, spinach, mushrooms, and beets; fish, including canned tuna, fermented, salted and smoked fish; and meat products, such as ham and sausage.
How do you test for Clostridium botulinum?
Detecting botulinum toxin can be performed in a liquid such as serum obtained from blood. It can also be detected from the remains of food eaten that has caused a case or an outbreak of botulism. To perform the test using remains of food it is necessary to obtain an extract filtrate from it.
How do you test for botulism?
Laboratory confirmation is done by demonstrating the presence of toxin in serum, stool, or food, or by culturing C. botulinum from stool, a wound or food. Laboratory testing may take hours or days.