Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 1). About botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/general.html
Botulism is a rare but life-threatening disease that can affect all genders and ages. While it is not common, it can have a substantial impact on your life if you survive. According to a yearly report done by the CDC, there are an average of 110 cases of botulism reported in the United States. There is currently no cure, but it can be managed if caught in the early stages.
Botulism can occur as a type of food poisoning that causes paralysis in the muscles. This illness is caused by toxins that attack the body's nerves. The toxins come from different types of foods that host bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. When these toxins are released into the body’s digestive system, they can latch onto the inside of the intestine and start to develop into a bigger problem. There are commonly five ways that you can contract botulism.
The most common way is through foodborne botulism. This happens when you consume a food that has botulinum toxin inside of it. This form of botulism is most often contracted through homemade food that has not been properly canned or preserved. Some of the foods that this commonly happens with include honey, canned fruit and vegetables, and fish. While this can take place in foods that were bought in stores, it is much more common in food that was made at home.
The next type is wound botulism which is caused when the spores of the bacteria get into a wound and make a toxin. Though this is not a common way to get botulism, it can still happen. The people who are most at risk for contracting botulism through a wound are people who get injected with drugs through a needle or have a large traumatic injury to the body.
The next two types are very similar: infant botulism and adult intestinal toxemia. Both of these take place when the body’s intestine gets a spore of the bacteria in it, which starts to grow and expand. Infant botulism is fairly common due to the child's body not being able to process and fight the bacteria as effectively compared to adults. In contrast, the adult form is very rare. While we don’t have an understanding of why some people contract this type of botulism we do know that it is a very serious health condition.
The last type is iatrogenic botulism. This happens when there is too much botulinum toxin injected through the skin. This is most commonly found in cosmetic products like wrinkle serums but can also be from medical reasons like taking too much of a medicine including but not limited to migraine medication.
While these are all very dangerous there are ways that you can look out for the signs and symptoms to have a better outcome if caught early. The most common signs and symptoms include difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, slurred speech, and difficulty breathing or moving eyes. For foodborne botulism, you should also look for vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Remember, if you have any of these symptoms, go to a doctor as soon as possible; this is a fast-acting bacteria and can be slowed down if caught early.
The signs and symptoms for an infant might look a little different, so, instead, you should look for constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak face and crying, and difficulty breathing. While almost no one shows all of the signs and symptoms, it is important to look for them if you start to feel sick eighteen to thirty-six hours after eating one of the foods mentioned above.
If you think that you have botulism, the doctor will start by asking questions about your symptoms and trying to piece together all of the clues. However, these clues are not usually enough for the doctor to diagnose you, so you will likely be subjected to additional testing. Some of these tests might include a brain scan, spinal fluid exam, and nerve and muscle test.
Even though there is no cure for botulism, that does not mean that there are no steps that can help treat botulism. To treat botulism doctors can use a drug called an antitoxin which prevents the toxins from causing harm to you; however, it does not heal the damages that were already caused. Depending on the severity of the symptoms your time in the hospital can vary between weeks and months. If your symptoms are severe, they can use different tools like a ventilator to help you recover. If you have wound botulism sometimes doctors will need to perform a surgery in order to remove the source of bacteria. Due to all of these methods, the chances of survival have increased exponentially.
In all, botulism is a serious disease that can take the lives of people of any age or gender. As modern medicine has gotten better, the risk of death has gone down, but there is still no cure for any of the types of botulism. You can contract botulism from eating or wounds, but in order to get help you need to know the signs to look for.
About the Author
Megan Dydynski is a sophomore at Northwood High School. She wants to go into premed and continue on to medical school to become a doctor. She is a member of the track team and enjoys science, art, and theater.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 1). About botulism. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/general.html
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Botulism. World Health Organization.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, July 12). Botulism. Mayo
Clevaland clinic professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.). Botulism. Cleveland Clinic.
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