Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a bacterium which occurs in soil. It produces a toxin that affects your nerves. Foodborne botulism comes from eating foods contaminated with the toxin.

Sources
  • Infants: Honey, home-canned vegetables and fruits, corn syrup
  • Children and adults: Home-canned foods with a low acid content, improperly canned commercial foods, home-canned or fermented fish, herb-infused oils, baked potatoes in aluminum foil, cheese sauce, bottled garlic, foods held warm for extended periods of time

Incubation Period
  • Infants: 3-30 days
  • Children and adults: 12-72 hours

Symptoms
  • Infants: Lethargy, weakness, poor feeding, constipation, poor head control, poor gag and sucking reflex
  • Children and adults: Double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness

Duration of Illness

Variable

What Do I Do?

Botulism is a medical emergency. If you have symptoms of botulism, contact your doctor immediately.

General Information

Botulism (NIH MedlinePlus)
Trusted health information on causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.

Botulism (CDC)
General information on diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and more.

Clostridium botulinum (FDA)
From the Bad Bug Book; provides basic facts, including associated foods, frequency of disease, complications, and target populations.

Frozen, Fully-Cooked Products & Botulism (USDA)
Safety recommendations to prevent botulism.