Botulism can occur when food or wounds become contaminated. Additionally, it can arise when bacterial spores grow in the intestines of infants. In rare cases, botulism can also be caused by medical treatments or acts of bioterrorism.
In situations where foodborne botulism occurs, the harmful bacteria thrive and produce the toxin in oxygen-depleted environments. Consuming food contaminated with the botulinum toxin can result in foodborne botulism. Improperly canned, preserved, or fermented homemade foods are common sources of this type of botulism. While it is infrequent, store-bought foods can also become tainted with the toxin.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified botulinum toxin in various food items, including low-acid preserved vegetables like green beans, spinach, mushrooms, and beets; fish, including canned tuna, fermented, salted, and smoked fish; as well as meat products such as ham and sausage.
Symptoms of foodborne botulism usually appear within 12 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the human body. Botulism causes paralysis by affecting the nerves responsible for muscle stimulation and parts of the central nervous system. Initially, it impacts the nerves in the skull, leading to symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, double vision, stammering or stuttering, vocal disturbances, drooping eyelids, facial weakness, and weakness of the tongue. Subsequently, weakness progresses to the neck and arms, eventually affecting the respiratory and lower body muscles.
Foodborne botulism: Toxin and symptoms
