Botulism is a rare and serious disease, caused by the absorption of a toxin, called botulinum, in the bloodstream. The three forms of botulism are caused by the same toxin absorbed into the blood. There is another form of botulism that is made by man and it consists in the inhalation of the toxin. Botulism is characterized by a sudden paralysis, which affects the muscles of head and neck in the first place, affecting then other parts of the body. The rapidity of the paralysis installation and the severity of this paralysis depend on the amount of the absorbed botulinum. The fact that botulinum is not contagious may be an advantage, but the severe symptoms and signs of it may be enough for several people.

Generally the first signs of the botulinum absorption are to be seen within two hours and 8 days after the ingestion. The first symptoms of the botulin absorption into the bloodstream are the incapacity or difficulty of speaking, swallowing and even seeing. Double vision and other vision problems are the common signs of the botulinum absorption into the blood. Nausea, abdominal cramps and vomiting may be also some symptoms of the botulinum absorption. The placement of a special tube for breathing in the throat may be necessary because of the difficulties of the respiratory system. This is the most common cause of death in the cases of botulism, as the problems of the breathing process are big, as well as other related aspects. The paralysis seems to not affect the capacity of sensing pain and changes and that is why calling a doctor is very important if noticing the mentioned symptoms. In this way, death may be avoided and the recovery period may be smaller. Weeks or months may be necessary for a person who suffered from botulism to recover and this also depends on the severity of the botulinum absorption in the bloodstream. The idea is that the recovery period waits for the nerve endings of the affected muscles to grow and to function again in a proper way.

The three forms of botulism are: wound botulism, infant botulism and food-borne botulism. The wound botulism consists in the intrusion of bacteria and the formation of the toxin in a wound, cut, scratch or any other injury. The illegal drugs are another possible way of being infected with wound botulism, because they may cause infections and related problems.

The most frequent form of botulism is the infant botulism and it is caused by the growth of the bacteria in the intestinal tract of the baby. The bacteria spores may be contacted and ingested either from infected food or coming into contact with infected soil. Some other causes of the infant botulism seem to be honey and even corn syrup; therefore much attention should be paid to these details in the baby’s diet. The symptoms that may appear in the case of the infant botulism are different and the first sign may be constipation, weak muscles and problems in coordinating the face muscles and the head movements. Looking tired and having difficulty in feeding are other symptoms of the infant botulism.

The food-borne botulism is caused by the same bacteria that may be found in canned foods or in other similar types of food containing little oxygen. Even the foods canned in home may be the cause of the food-borne botulism. These home-canned foods are usually low in acid and oxygen, being the perfect environment for the development of the botulinum bacteria. Even sea-food may present the danger of becoming infected with botulinum and this is the main cause of botulism in the north regions where sea-foods are the main food for the people who live there.