Botulism is an acute poisoning caused by botulinum toxins. The disease occurs when eating contaminated foods and is accompanied by damage to the central and autonomic nervous systems. At the initial stage, the symptoms of the disease resemble the manifestation of gastroenteritis.
Causes of botulism
The causative agent of botulism refers to anaerobic bacteria, that is, lives and multiplies only in an environment completely devoid of oxygen. A botulinum wand exists in two forms: vegetative and spore. Spores can stay in the soil for a long time, they have increased resistance to environmental factors and last a very long time. They are resistant to drying, freezing, boiling. Bend only with a half-hour heat treatment, and the temperature should be at least 120 degrees.
Getting into a favorable airless environment, the bacterium passes into a vegetative form and begins to actively develop, while releasing toxin, which is 375 000 times more dangerous than the poison of the rattlesnake. The lethal dose of this toxin to humans is about 0.3 micrograms. The vegetative form of bacteria perishes at a five-minute boil.
The source of infection can serve as canned foods, smoked meat, fish. Recently, a fairly frequent source of infection is canned mushrooms.
The bacterium itself is not dangerous, only the poison that it produces in the process of vital activity represents a threat.
Symptoms of botulism
The incubation period with botulism is from 2 hours to two or three days (the latter in rare cases) and depends on the amount of toxin that has got into the body.
Symptoms of botulism at the initial stage may be implicit and recall a number of other diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract, which complicates the diagnosis.
The first signs of botulism include:
- headache;
- abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea;
- weakness and dizziness;
- impaired vision (double vision, etc.);
- increase in temperature due to intoxication of the body;
- difficulty with swallowing (sensation of a lump in the throat).
Approximately 24 hours after infection, body temperature usually stabilizes, and symptoms of nervous system damage come to the forefront.
Symptoms of botulism can be manifested in three versions:
- Gastroenterological option. The most obvious signs are observed from the gastrointestinal tract: digestive disorders, abdominal pain, nausea, dry mouth, lump in the throat.
- Eye option. First of all, it manifests itself in the disorder of vision: double vision, the appearance of dots and "flies" before the eyes , a violation of the clarity of vision.
- Acute respiratory failure. It manifests itself in the most severe cases of poisoning and can lead to the patient's death within 3-4 hours. There is tachycardia, cyanosis, respiratory disorders.
Botulism is a life-threatening disease that, in the absence of emergency medical care, leads to death, most often due to respiratory failure. Hospitalization in case of infection is mandatory.
Prevention of botulism
To avoid infection with botulism, you need to carefully observe the sanitary standards and monitor the quality of products. Do not eat foods that have expired, or in cases where you have doubts about their quality. At home canning must be sterilized and heat treated. Vegetables before conservation must be washed thoroughly to avoid land, and it is best to harvest them by pickling or pickling, since such an environment is unfavorable for botulinum microbes and will help to avoid their appearance.