Definition Botulismis a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin.
It is happendue to the Clostridium botulinum.
There are three main kinds of botulism:

• Foodborne botulism
• Infant botulism
• Wound botulism

All forms of botulism can be fataland are considered medical emergencies.
Foodborne botulism can be especiallydangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food.
Causes The types of foods involved in botulism vary according to food preservation andeating habits in different regions.
Any food that is conducive to outgrowth andtoxin production, that when processed allows spore survival, and is notsubsequently heated before consumption can be associated with botulism.
Almostany type of food that is not very acidic can support growth and toxinproduction by C.
botulinum.
Botulinaltoxin has been demonstrated in a considerable variety of foods, such as cannedcorn, peppers, green beans, soups, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, ripe olives,spinach, tuna fish, chicken and chicken livers and liver pate, and luncheonmeats, ham, sausage, stuffed eggplant, lobster, and smoked and salted fish.
Symptoms The symptomsare not caused by the organism itself, but by the toxin that the bacteriumreleases.
They usually appear within 12 to 36 hours after exposure.
Incidenceof botulism is low, but the mortality rate is high if treatment is notimmediate and proper.
Early symptomsof botulism include:

• Double or Blurred Vision
• Drooping Eyelids
• Slurred Speech
• Trouble Swallowing
• Dry Mouth
• Muscle Weakness
• Constipation
• Lethargy
• Poor Feeding
• Poor Muscle Tone
• Paralysis of the respiratory muscles

Treatment If diagnosedearly, the severity of food-borne botulism can be reduced by:

• Inducing vomiting or using enemas to remove any contaminated food remaining in the gut
• Administration of horse serum antitoxin to neutralize botulinum toxin circulating in the blood but not yet attached to nerveendings

Theprogression of wound botulism also may be halted through use of:

• Horse Serum Antitoxin
• Surgical Treatment of the Wound to Remove the Bacteria
• Infant botulism cannot be treated with horse serum antitoxin, because of the risk of severe allergic reaction.
  
• Whether or not antitoxin is administered, fullrecovery from severe botulism requires weeks or months of intensive medical and nursing care, including mechanical ventilation if necessary.
  
• Over weeks or months, new nerve endings are able to grow and the paralysis is reversed.
  
• Fatigue and shortness of breath may persist for years after recovery.
  

Patients suffering from wound botulism should receiveequine antibiotics such as penicillin.
If you're having trouble breathing, you will probably need to use a ventilator.