Botulism: Surveillance & Reporting Overview for Clinicians
On this page:
Case Definition
Use of case definitions are not sufficient for establishing a medical diagnosis and should not be relied upon to initiate therapy.
- This definition is for public health surveillance purposes only. It is not intended for use in clinical diagnosis.
- Case definitions should be used by clinicians and public health officials in two settings:
- After a credible threat of a biological/chemical agent release.
- After a known biological/chemical agent release.
Surveillance Data
- In collaboration with state health departments, CDC maintains intensive surveillance for botulism in the United States.
- Every case of foodborne botulism is treated as a public health emergency, because the food source, whether homemade or commercial, might still be available for consumption and could make unsuspecting persons ill.
- Health-care providers should be alert to illness patterns and diagnostic clues that might indicate an unusual infectious disease outbreak associated with intentional release of a biologic agent and should report any clusters or findings to their local or state health department.
- Page last reviewed October 06, 2006
- Page last updated June 14, 2006
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov