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Botulism |
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Evaluation |
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Person to person transmission of botulism does not occur. The symptoms are not caused
by the organism itself, but by the toxin that the bacterium releases which usually appear within 12 to 36
hours but can range from four hours to eight days after exposure. Incidence of botulism is low, but the
mortality rate is high if not treated immediately. The disease can be fatal in 5 to 10 percent of cases.
The following references provide useful information about the management of exposures to botulinum toxin.
Evaluation and Investigation
Prompt and thorough laboratory evaluation of cases and suspected foods is essential. Cases
of foodborne disease involving botulism, are identified by a distinctive
clinical syndrome. For information about conducting evaluations of foodborne
disease and reporting foodborne disease epidemics to local health authorities,
see the following reference:
Diagnosis and Treatment
- Botulism.
Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), Neuromuscular Disease Center. Provides
information on diagnosis and treatment and discusses botulinum toxins on the
molecular level, describing their basic structure
and mode of action.
- Clinical Pathway: Botulism. University of
Minnesota (UM), Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP),
(2002),
717 KB PDF, 3 pages.
Provides a flow chart with
step-by-step procedures for patient evaluation and treatment.
- Bioterrorism Agent Fact Sheet: Botulism/Botulinum Toxin.
Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Public Health, Centers for the Study of Bioterrorism, and Emerging Infections (CBS&EI), (2002, November), 164 KB
PDF, 2 pages.
Provides a basic disease description and information on diagnosis and treatment.
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