Diseases A-Z

Botulism

• More info/links
• Reporting

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of Clostridium botulinum, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies.

More info/links

• CDC botulism fact sheet
• CDC frequently asked questions about botulism
• More facts and background info on botulism and other possible biological agents

Disease Reporting

Health care providers and clinical laboratories are required to report cases and suspect cases of botulism to local health departments immediately, day or night. Go to our disease reporting page for information on how to report and for telephone numbers of local health departments.

Disease reporting form for health-care practitioners (PDF 42K)

For county health departments:

Investigative guidelines (PDF 58K)

Case report form (PDF 36K)

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