According to Public Radio for Alaska’s Bristol Bay (KDLG), a botulism outbreak linked to a batch of contaminated seal oil has sickened more than 25 people. The seal oil was made in the village of Twin Hills. Several people have been hospitalized in this outbreak because they can’t breathe on their own.
The first botulism illnesses were reported December 19, 2014 when two people has to be flown from Quinhagak to Bethel for medical care. They were then medevaced to Anchorage on respiratory support. One child has been sickened in this outbreak. Those sickened live in Quinhagak, Twin Hills, and Dillingham. Several people are being monitored by public health officials.
Dr. Michael Cooper, the Infectious Disease Program Manager at the State Department of Epidemiology told KDLG, “This is a very concerning outbreak. This is one of the largest clusters of botulism we’ve ever seen.” There are usually only about 30 cases of botulism in the entire country every year.
The seal oil contains “particularly toxic” botulinum toxin. Cooper continued, “when it was tested, it came back at the highest level the lab instrument can measure for botulinum toxin.” After the family who made the oil were showed the results, they “sort of refused to stop eating or serving it,” according to Dr. Cooper.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria grow and produce botulism toxin under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions. The toxin is very poisonous and a very tiny amount can cause illness and death. Clostridium botulinum bacteria spores grow in improperly canned foods. In Alaska, botulism usually occurs in fermented or preserved foods such as stink heads and improperly canned fish. Seal oil has caused 54 botulism outbreaks in that state over the years.
You cannot see, smell, or taste botulism toxin, and the food will look, taste, and smell perfectly ordinary. The toxin paralyzes your muscles. The first symptoms are blurred or double vision, since the smallest muscle in the body moves the eyes. Drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, symmetrical muscle weakness, and difficulty breathing then follow. Patients may need to be on ventilators for weeks. Symptoms of botulism poisoning can occur 18 to 240 hours after exposure to the toxin.
If you ate seal oil and have developed these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. Botulism toxin poisoning can be fatal when not treated.
