Food-borne botulism is due to ingestion of a toxin formed in food. It often involves improperly processed home canned foods. Botulism in infants under one year of age has been associated with the ingestion of contaminated honey.

Person to person spread does not occur. A person must ingest contaminated food that has not been properly cooked or reheated after the toxin has been produced by the bacteria. With infant botulism, an infant must ingest bacterial spores and then produce the toxin in his/her gastrointestinal tract.

Food-borne and infant botulism produce symptoms that affect the nervous system. The symptoms of food-borne botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and sometimes death. Infant botulism has a wide range of symptoms including difficulty breathing, visual disturbances, poor feeding and poor reflexes.

Symptoms of food-borne botulism usually appear 12-36 hours after ingestion, but may take several days. The incubation period for infant botulism is unknown.

Hospital care is necessary. Antitoxin is given in certain cases of food-borne botulism, but not in cases of infant botulism .

Untreated botulism may result in death.

Identified sources of infant botulism, such as honey, should not be fed to infants. All canned and preserved foods should be properly processed and prepared. Bulging containers should not be opened and foods with off-odors should not be eaten or even tasted. Commercial cans with bulging lids should be returned unopened to the vendor.

New York State Department of Health

Send questions or comments to: nyhealth@health.state.ny.us
Revised: February 1999

NEVDGP information - Bioterrorism - Use of Biological Agents and Chemicals as Weapons.