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Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which occurs in soil. It produces a toxin that affects your nerves. There are three kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism comes from eating foods contaminated with the toxin. Wounds infected with toxin-producing bacteria result in wound botulism. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the bacteria, usually from honey. All three forms can be deadly and are medical emergencies.
Symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. Treatment may include antitoxins, intensive medical care or surgery of infected wounds.
To prevent botulism:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
'''Botulism''' (from Latin ''botulus'', "sausage") is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum''. Botulin is the most potent known toxin, blocking nerve function and leading to respiratory and musculoskeletal paralysis. There are three main kinds of botulism: * '''Foodborne botulism''' is a form of foodborne illness and is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. * '''Wound botulism''' is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with ''Clostridium botulinum''. * '''Infant botulism''' is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodborne botulism can be especially dangerous as a public health problem because many people can be poisoned from a single contaminated food source. In the United States an average of 110 cases of botulism are reported each year. Of these, approximately 25% are foodborne, 72% are infant botulism, and the rest are wound botulism. Outbreaks of foodborne botulism involving two or more persons occur during most years and usually are caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods. The number of cases of foodborne and infant botulism has changed little in recent years, but wound botulism has increased because of the use of black-tar heroin, especially in California.
DBMD - Botulism - Information about this disorder, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, complications and prevention.
eMedicine - Botulism - An in depth look at botulism which is a paralytic disease caused by the neurotoxins of Clostridium botulinum and, in rare cases, Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii.
Virginia Department of Health - Provides a fact sheet for botulism.
NORD: Botulism - Offers synonyms, a general discussion and further resources.
Botulism: What You Don't See Can Hurt You - Ohio State University Extension fact sheet providing basic information on the subject.
CDC: Botulism Emergency Preparedness and Response - Examines botulism used as a biological weapon.
Infant Botulism - Includes causes, foods associated with the disease, symptoms, and prevention.
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Botulism - Includes information on the causative agent, Clostridium botulinum, risk factors, symptoms, tests, treatment, and prevention.
Botulism - NIAID Factsheet - Includes cause, prevention, risks, and treatment.
MayoClinic.com: Honey - Why you shouldn't feed it to infants - Discusses the danger of children less than one year old getting botulism from honey.