Presentation
Most cases first presented with gastrointestinal symptoms followed by neurological symptoms, the most striking of which being difficulty in swallowing. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Case Presentation A 32-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a few hours' history of shortness of breath and weakness associated with chest tightness, congestion, hoarseness of voice, and difficulty swallowing. [cureus.com]
Patients may initially present with gastrointestinal distress, nausea and vomiting preceding neurological symptoms. [jhsph.edu]
Entire Body System
- Fatigue
These long-term effects most often include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, and difficulty performing strenuous tasks. Patients also report a generally less happy and peaceful psychological state than before their illness. [foodborneillness.com]
Sometimes fatigue and shortness of breath can last for years. [drugs.com]
Signs and symptoms Symptoms in adults may include: an initial short period of diarrhoea and vomiting, followed by constipation blurred vision difficulty in speaking, swallowing and breathing dry mouth weakness, fatigue and ultimately paralysis of the [healthywa.wa.gov.au]
Torres tells the Sacramento Bee that within hours on consuming nacho cheese from a gas station on the way home from work, Kelly felt fatigued and she complained of double vision. She went to the hospital, but was sent home hours later. [self.com]
These are followed by neurological symptoms: visual impairments (blurred or double vision), loss of normal throat and mouth functions (difficulty speaking and swallowing; dry mouth, throat, and tongue; and sore throat), general fatigue, lack of muscle [fsis.usda.gov]
Gastrointestinal
- Vomiting
Of the 41 botulinal toxin-positive persons, 38 (93%) had at least three of the commonly recognized pentad of signs or symptoms--nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, diplopia, dilated and fixed pupils, or dry mouth and throat--and 20 (49%) required respiratory [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
A blood, stool or vomit analysis may also be ordered. Treatment of foodborne or infant botulism typically includes ridding the body of the toxin by inducing vomiting or bowel movements. Wound botulism may be treated by removing the infected tissue. [livescience.com]
Symptoms often begin with blurred vision and difficulty in swallowing and speaking, but sometimes diarrhoea and vomiting can occur. The disease can go on to lead to further problems with vision, and paralysis. [patient.info]
Results: A 36 years-old patient “A”, a 49 years-old patient “B” and a 17 years-old patient “C” have abdominal pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and speaking, dyspnea, asthenia and xerostomia at day 1. [jle.com]
Treatment often includes trying to remove contaminated food from the intestinal tract by inducing vomiting or using enemas. [edition.cnn.com]
- Nausea
Of the 41 botulinal toxin-positive persons, 38 (93%) had at least three of the commonly recognized pentad of signs or symptoms--nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, diplopia, dilated and fixed pupils, or dry mouth and throat--and 20 (49%) required respiratory [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
In general, symptoms of botulism poisoning include the following: Nausea Vomiting Fatigue Dizziness Double vision Dry skin, mouth and throat Drooping eyelids Difficulty swallowing Slurred speech Muscle Weakness Body Aches Paralysis Lack of fever Infant [foodborneillness.com]
In rare cases, you may also experience nausea and vomiting. Infants with botulism may show signs such as weak cries, constipation, a flat facial expression, and difficulty breathing. [everydayhealth.com]
After botulinum toxins are ingested, the symptoms generally start with nausea, vomiting and dizziness. [lsuagcenter.com]
Symptoms: Muscle weakness Vision problems Dry mouth Difficulty speaking Nausea or vomiting, sometimes accompanied by diarrhea Trouble breathing/Respiratory failure Heart failure/Cardiac failure Paralysis starting from the top of the body, moving downwards [hnhu.org]
- Food Poisoning
MENU Three cases of foodborne botulism in France Volume 35, issue 3, Septembre 2016 Abstract Full text References Other material Authors Service pharmacie, CH de Valence, Valence, France * Tirés à part Key words: botulism, botulinum antitoxin, food poisoning [jle.com]
After Hours Emergencies For public health emergencies or hazards, such as outbreaks, food poisoning, meningitis or rabies, please call our after hours emergency phone number at 1-877-298-5888. [hnhu.org]
Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. [botulismblog.com]
Although C. botulinum is an obligate anaerobe, foods that are aerobic can still become contaminated by this bacteria and are often the source of food poisoning outbreaks. [microbewiki.kenyon.edu]
- Abdominal Pain
Results: A 36 years-old patient “A”, a 49 years-old patient “B” and a 17 years-old patient “C” have abdominal pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and speaking, dyspnea, asthenia and xerostomia at day 1. [jle.com]
Gastrointestinal symptoms may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation. Death is usually caused by respiratory failure and airway obstructions. [fsis.usda.gov]
Symptoms of botulism can include fatigue, weakness and dizziness; blurred or double vision; dryness in the mouth, throat and nose and difficulty in swallowing and speaking; headache; nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and, less commonly, diarrhea; and paralysis [canada.ca]
Early or mild symptoms, which may go away on their own, include: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (not usually present in wound botulism) Double vision, blurred vision (especially when viewing close objects) or drooping eyelids Dryness of [drugs.com]
Cardiovascular
- Hypotension
Palpebral ptosis, dysphonia, urinary retention, postural hypotension, and respiratory impairment were also reported, but not in all inpatients. Identical, but less severe, manifestations were registered in the 20 ambulatory patients. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Skin
- Sweating
This deadly nerve toxin is also the source of Botox, a leading cosmetic solution for wrinkles as well as medical conditions such as migraines and excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis. [edition.cnn.com]
Musculoskeletal
- Muscle Weakness
In infants, symptoms include constipation, a flat facial expression, poor feeding, a weak cry, decreased movement, trouble swallowing, excessive drooling, muscle weakness, and breathing problems. [kidshealth.org]
Common clinical features included ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, proximal muscle weakness, pupillary abnormality, and respiratory failure. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The botulinum toxin can affect the central nervous system and cause muscle weakness, paralysis and even death. In the United States, an average of 21 cases of foodborne botulism are reported each year. [lsuagcenter.com]
Symptoms of botulism in humans include blurred vision, dry mouth, trouble swallowing, and muscle weakness. The muscle weakness tends to start in the shoulder area and move downwards through the body. [softschools.com]
They attack the nervous system (nerves, brain and spinal cord) and cause paralysis (muscle weakness). [nhs.uk]
Eyes
- Diplopia
Of the 41 botulinal toxin-positive persons, 38 (93%) had at least three of the commonly recognized pentad of signs or symptoms--nausea and vomiting, dysphagia, diplopia, dilated and fixed pupils, or dry mouth and throat--and 20 (49%) required respiratory [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
That day, she was discharged with an outpatient consultation with neurology, but she continued to have persistent diplopia. [cureus.com]
Prominent neurologic findings in all forms of botulism include ptsosis, diplopia, blurred vision, dysarthria and dysphagia. Patients typically are afebrile and do not have an altered level of consciousness. [jhsph.edu]
Neurologic
- Headache
Symptoms of botulism can include fatigue, weakness and dizziness; blurred or double vision; dryness in the mouth, throat and nose and difficulty in swallowing and speaking; headache; nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and, less commonly, diarrhea; and paralysis [canada.ca]
Workup
The general workup, including biochemical and hematological investigations, came out to be normal except for a mildly decreased serum calcium (7.9 mg/dl). The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain was also normal. [cureus.com]
Treatment
Recovery with this type of treatment can take weeks or months. Death can occur from respiratory failure if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Those suspected of having food-borne botulism should seek medical treatment at a hospital immediately. [hnhu.org]
Treatment for botulism Botulism needs to be treated in hospital. [nhs.uk]
This report provides a reminder to public health professions of the occurrence, diagnosis, treatment and control of this rare but serious food-borne disease. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Botox treatments employ the purified and heavily diluted botulinum neurotoxin type A. [who.int]
Prognosis
A long incubation time was associated with a better prognosis. Although botulism is a potentially fatal disease, there was no mortality in this outbreak. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
The prognosis depends on early diagnosis and administration of the antitoxin, which may reduce the further deterioration of muscle weakness and the severity of the disease [5]. [cureus.com]
The patient’s respiratory vital capacity is closely monitored and a ventilation machine is provided for breathing support, if required Prognosis Botulism tends to occur in small outbreaks. [news-medical.net]
[…] in the USA: Prompt treatment of infant botulism type A or type B was found to be safe and effective in shortening the length and cost of the hospital stay and the severity of illness. [ 6 ] Further evaluation has supported the initial findings. [ 7 ] Prognosis [patient.info]
Prognosis Although botulism can cause severe and prolonged symptoms, most people recover completely from the illness. Early treatment reduces the risk of permanent disability and death. However, even with treatment botulism can be fatal. [drugs.com]
Etiology
Foodborne botulism accounted for 2 illnesses, or 1 percent of all cases, with 1 death, infant botulism for 135 illnesses, or 88 percent of all cases, wound botulism for 14 illnesses, or 9 percent of all cases, and botulism of unknown or other etiology [foodsafetynews.com]
Of these, 20 were foodborne, 102 infant, 13 wound, and 5 of unknown or other etiology (CDC 2013). Then, in 2014 there were 161 confirmed and 16 probable cases of botulism reported. [edis.ifas.ufl.edu]
Epidemiology
Even though since the mid-1990s the number of food-borne botulism cases has systematically decreased and it now occurs in Poland relatively rarely, it is still a real epidemiological problem. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
It discusses the nature of illnesses; the epidemiology of pathogens; and current detection, prevention, and control methods. It also features chapters on the globalization of the food supply, seafood toxins, and other miscellaneous agents. [books.google.de]
Food-borne botulism: still actual topic Summary Even though since the mid-1990s the number of food-borne botulism cases has systematically decreased and it now occurs in Poland relatively rarely, it is still a real epidemiological problem. [casereports.bmj.com]
His research interests include the epidemiology of bacterial enteric infections with a special focus on botulism. Top References Shapiro R, Hathaway C, Swerdlow DL. Botulism in the United States: a clinical and epidemiologic review. [wwwnc.cdc.gov]
Contact your doctor or the Southern Nevada Health District, Office of Epidemiology at (702) 759-1300. [southernnevadahealthdistrict.org]
Prevention
Prevention of Botulism Since botulism poisoning most commonly comes from foods improperly canned at home, the most important step in preventing botulism is to follow proper canning procedure. [foodborneillness.com]
And they were already taking rather extreme measures to try to prevent it (like very long processing times, which were probably at least somewhat effective in decreasing the incidence of botulism, even if not preventing it entirely). [cooking.stackexchange.com]
The only way to ensure prevention of foodborne botulism is to prevent the neurotoxin production within those foods. [microbewiki.kenyon.edu]