Foodborne botulism is rare, but this month two outbreaks have been reported, one in New Mexico and one in Ohio. In New Mexico, two people were sickened and hospitalized in Texas. In Ohio, at least 19 people who ate at a church potluck were sickened and one of them died. Patients in that outbreak are being treated at the Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, Ohio.
Health officials have not yet determined the food source for either outbreak. In Ohio, the list of possible suspects includes 20 items.
Botulism is caused by a nerve toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum which is found in soil and dust. Symptoms include: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness, descending paralysis, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. Death occurs when the muscles that control breathing are paralyzed.
Only about 145 cases of botulism are reported in the U.S. each year, but only a fraction of those are caused by food. Botulism cases are divided into three categories: foodborne, wound and infant. Only about 15 percent of all botulism cases reported annually are from food, that about 22 cases each year. Infant botulism is the most common, about 65 percent of cases fall into this category. The remaining 20 percent of cases stem from infected wounds, most of them are associated with heroin use.
Botulism from food is often associated with home-canned foods that have low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets and corn. Previous outbreaks have been attributed to chopped garlic in oil, canned cheese sauce, chile peppers, tomatoes, carrot juice, and baked potatoes wrapped in foil an fermented fish.
