Botulism

Disease class: Neuromuscular junction diseases

This is a notifiable disease. This means that all diagnosed cases must be reported to the national Public Health services.

Botulism is caused by ingestion of botulinum toxin (botox).
Botox is a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum.

 

Diagnosis

• Often confused with stroke, especially in older patients.
• The diagnosis is often made after close contacts of the patient develop similar symptoms. Alternatively, regional hospitals may be contacted by National Public Health services once an outbreak is identified.

 

Management

• Anti-toxin therapy for botox
• This is only useful for a short time window after the poisoning, because the binding of the toxin to its target is irreversible.
• Airway management
• Tracheal intubation
• Mechanical ventilation 

Commonly, the management for botulism is long-term supportive care in an intensive care unit. This may take weeks or months as the effects will only reverse once the affected neuronal proteins are regenerated.

 

Compare with 

• Guillain–Barré syndrome
• Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome 
• Myasthenia gravis
• Organophosphate poisoning