Botulism is a rare, paralytic illness caused by the nerve toxins of certain spore-producing Clostridium bacteria, which are found in soil and untreated water.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria usually cause this serious, life-threatening disease, but C. butyricum and C. baratii also sometimes cause botulism.

Types of Botulism

There are five types of botulism, according to the CDC. These include:
  • Foodborne botulism, which is caused by consuming foods contaminated with the botulinum toxin — most commonly home-canned vegetables, cured pork, smoked or raw fish, honey, and corn syrup
  • Wound botulism, which develops if C. botulinum enters an open wound and releases toxins
  • Infant botulism, which occurs after a baby consumes the bacterial spores, usually by eating contaminated honey or corn syrup
  • Adult toxemia botulism, which also develops from consuming the spores
  • Iatrogenic botulism, an accidental overdose of botulinum toxin (such as from Botox injections)
There are approximately 145 reported cases of botulism in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Infant botulism is the most common type, accounting for about 65 percent of cases, followed by foodborne and wound botulism, at approximately 15 and 20 percent, respectively.
Adult toxemia botulism and iatrogenic botulism are very rare.

Botulism Symptoms

The botulinum toxin causes widespread muscle paralysis.
In children and adults, this can result in:
  • Blurred and double vision
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Slurred speech and difficulty swallowing
  • Dry mouth
  • Muscle weakness
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Nausea and vomiting
Foodborne botulism typically produces these symptoms 18 to 36 hours after consuming contaminated food, though symptoms may appear anytime between 6 hours and 10 days after ingestion.
Signs of botulism in infants include:
  • Poor feeding
  • Lethargy and weakness
  • Constipation
  • Drooling
  • Weak cry
  • Poor muscle tone and head control
  • Poor gag and sucking reflexes
Left untreated, botulism can cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk, and respiratory muscles, ultimately ending in death due to inability to breathe.

Botulism Treatment

A medication called botulinus antitoxin is used to counteract the bacteria's paralyzing toxin circulating in the body.
If the antitoxin is given before paralysis takes hold, it can prevent worsening symptoms and shorten a person's recovery time.
People with severe botulism who experience paralysis and respiratory failure need to be put on a ventilator (breathing machine) for weeks or months.
They also require intensive medical and nursing care until the paralysis improves — a slow process.
To speed up recovery from foodborne botulism, doctors may induce vomiting or defecation (with an enema) to remove contaminated food from the intestines.
Similarly, treating infected wounds — usually with surgery and antibiotics — can help people recover from wound botulism.