What are the symptoms of botulism food poisoning?

Botulism food poisoning causes a number of symptoms related to the effects of the botulinum toxin. The symptoms differ in adults and infants.

Common symptoms of botulism food poisoning in adults

Symptoms of botulism food poisoning in adults include:

  • Abdominal pain or cramping
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing and speaking
  • Nausea with or without vomiting
  • Paralysis (on both sides of the body)
  • Weakness (on both sides of the body)

Common symptoms of botulism food poisoning in infants

The most common symptoms of botulism food poisoning in infants include:

  • Difficulty controlling head movement
  • Difficulty sucking or feeding
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle weakness
  • Paralysis
  • Weak cry

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

Symptoms from botulism food poisoning may be so severe that a life-threatening situation can develop. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of the following symptoms:

  • Blurred or double vision
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Facial weakness (both sides of the face)
  • Garbled or slurred speech or inability to speak
  • Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain or cramping
  • Paralysis or inability to move a body part
INTRODUCTION

What is botulism food poisoning?

Botulism is a disease caused by the bacterium scientifically known as Clostridium botulinum. Botulism food poisoning occurs when a toxin produced by the bacteria is consumed in improperly preserved foods. The disease is caused by a potent neurotoxin produced by the bacteria. It manifests as abdominal cramping, double or blurred vision, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, and other serio... Read more about botulism food poisoning introduction

CAUSES

What causes botulism food poisoning?

Clostridium botulinum is found in soil and untreated water. The bacteria create spores that subsist in incorrectly preserved or canned food, where they lead to the presence of bacteria that produce the botulinum toxin. Botulism food poisoning commonly occurs when the toxin is ingested. Ingesting even minute quantities can cause severe poisoning. The foods most commonly known to cause botulism food poisoning are smoked or raw fish, cured pork and ham, honey or corn syrup, and home-canned vegetables. The disease has also occurred from oil infused with garlic and baked potatoes. In infants, the most common causes are exposure to... Read more about botulism food poisoning causes

TREATMENTS

How is botulism food poisoning treated?

Botulinum antitoxin in injected form is the mainstay of treatment for botulism food poisoning in adults. Infants are usually treated intravenously with immune globulin.... Read more about botulism food poisoning treatments

Medical Reviewer: All content has been reviewed by board-certified physicians under the direction of Rich Klasco, M.D., FACEP. Last Annual Review Date: May 2, 2011 Copyright: © Copyright 2011 Health Grades, Inc. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or reprinted without permission from Health Grades, Inc. Use of this information is governed by the HealthGrades User Agreement.

This Article is Filed Under: Poisoning and Environmental Health


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