Botulism in Adults and Children

Botulism is a potentially fatal disorder and is usually caused by toxic agents or poisonous substances produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which is an anaerobic bacterium producing botulin the toxin that causes botulism. Botulism is not infectious however this rare disease can be dangerously fatal if it affects the central nervous system, and when not treated promptly on time.

Medical experts are of the opinion that the toxin produced by the bacteria is one of the most powerful poisons known to affect human beings. There are three kinds of botulism, these include:

• Botulism that occurs in food, when the food has been contaminated by the botulism-causing bacteria.

• Infant botulism that takes place when an incident or a baby breathes in/consumes the spores of the bacteria. The spores that enter the infant’s digestive system grow in the baby’s intestine and start to produce the toxin leading to infant botulism.

• Wound botulism takes place when the botulism causing bacteria enters the body through a wound or skin trauma. The bacterium then grows within the body and produces the toxin; this form of infection is usually seen in patients with drug addictions using heroin injections.

Indications of botulism due to food contamination usually take place within 20-26 hours of consuming the food that has been contaminated. In some cases however, the symptoms can occur as early as 4 - 6 hours after consumption. The symptoms botulism due to food contamination include diarrhea, extreme difficulty in swallowing and talking, dizziness, hazy vision, nausea, paralysis, extreme weakness of muscles and dry mouth. On the other hand, the indications of wound botulism usually occur approximately between five to 14 days after the bacterium has entered the wound. In such cases the wound is usually inflamed and painful and is likely to drain pus.

Infant Botulism Symptoms

Infant botulism can trigger symptoms such as constipation, lack of movement or lethargy, poor appetite, weak muscle tone and crying in a low tone. It is highly critical to diagnose and treat botulism at an early stage and get rid of any remaining contaminated food from the patient’s digestive system. The medical expert treating the patient is likely to induce vomiting and prescribe enemas to drain out all the toxins in the body. Botulism caused due to food and wounds are usually treated with antitoxins. Antitoxins are useful in blocking the actions of the poisonous substance in the blood. However, although the antitoxin may not necessarily undo the damage that the toxin has caused in the body, it can help in preventing further impairment. In the event that the patient is unable to swallow, doctors usually offer intravenous fluids. For treating breathing difficulties the doctor may also utilize a ventilator or artificial breathing machine till the time the toxin has been eliminated from the body.