|
Public Health Solutions
District Health Department
995 East Hwy 33, Ste 1
Crete, NE 68333-2562
888.310.0565
Webmail »
|
Botulism
Background
Botulism is caused by a toxin released by Clostridium Botulinum spores. The disease can present in four forms:
- Intestinal Infant- results from ingesting spores; 72% of cases
- Wound - results from direct contamination of spores with an open wound
- Foodborne - results from eating contaminated foods, usually improperly canned or processed foods; 5% of cases
- Inhalation - results from inhaling spores into the respiratory tract (this form only occurs through deliberate spore generation and release, as in a terrorist attack).
The C. botulinum bacteria form spores that can survive even in harsh environments. There are seven types of botulism toxins, lettered A through G. Only A, B, E, and F naturally affect humans.
Symptoms
Double vision, impaired speech, difficulty speaking and swallowing. These symptoms are coupled with a lack of fever and lack of confusion. Onset and severity of symptoms depends on the rate and amount of toxin absorbed into the bloodstream. Botulism is sometimes misdiagnosed as Guilliain-Barre syndrome, stroke, or chronic muscle weakness.
Transmission
There is no person to person transmission for any form of botulism.
Precautions and Decontamination
Standard precautions and standard hospital infection control are recommended. The toxin cannot penetrate intact skin or be spread through respiratory droplets.
Treatment
Supportive care and assisted ventilatory care are recommended. Certain types may warrant the use of antitoxin, though not all types are available to the general public yet (under investigation). Recovery can take weeks or months.
Bioterrorism significance
Botulinum toxin is the most potent poison known. It is also easy to produce and transport. Aerosol or intentional food contamination are considered to be the most likely methods of intentionally dispersing botulism. Several countries - including the US during and after World War II, and Iraq in the 1980's - have had research programs investigating the use of botulism as a biological weapon, and there have been several failed attempts at using it to intentionally sicken large groups of people.
|
