Botulism

Disease description

It is an infectious disease of the nervous system, usually caused by a very potent neurotoxin that is ingested with food or enters through open wounds, produced by Clostridium botulinum . These clostridia have many types, but in Lithuania the most common are types A, B, C. These bacteria produce spores that are very resistant and can survive in the soil for a long time. When spores enter the body, they turn into bacteria that produce the toxin – botulinum. The source of infection is domestic animals, livestock, rodents, birds, fish. Spores from their feces enter the soil, on vegetables, mushrooms, etc. Infection occurs when consuming food contaminated with the toxin or bacteria that start producing it. Not everyone who eats the same food gets botulism, as they may not be exposed to the tasteless and odorless toxin in the food. In Lithuania, there are 10-30 cases of botulism every year, mostly due to home-canned mushrooms.

Symptoms of the disease

A patient with botulism does not infect others. Clinical symptoms appear 6-24 hours after infection with dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, stomach stasis, impaired speech, vision, drooping eyelids (inability to lift eyelids), difficulty breathing, muscle weakness.

Diagnostics

Botulism is suspected when the mouth starts to dry after stomach stasis, the intestines harden, the person cannot lift the eyelids, and close-up vision worsens. There is usually no fever. It is important to find out if the patient has eaten canned food in recent days. A laboratory blood test is performed to confirm the diagnosis. For infants, a bacteriological test is performed to look for bacteria in the stool. Sometimes food and wounds are examined.

Treatment

The stomach is washed with a solution of soda, the intestines are cleaned with enemas, and a solution of magnesium sulfate is given to drink for several days. An antibotulinum serum is injected. Antibacterial treatment is prescribed to prevent bacterial infections and their complications.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology