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CD-ROM Today (UK) (Spanish) 15
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01898.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK01898}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Botulism: A Deadly Form of Food Poisoning}
$Subject{Botulism die died dead Deadly death Food poison Poisoning bottle
bottled whiskey moonlighter hootch moonshine liquor toxic toxin organism
organisms Clostridium botulinum bacterial bacteria contaminate contamination
spore spores cook cooking temperature temperatures taint taints nerve nerves
nervous peripheral system symptom Symptoms double vision dry mouth nausea
vomit vomiting paralysis muscle muscles treat Treatment treatments antitoxin
Antitoxins food-poison food-poisoning food-poisonings}
$Volume{}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Botulism: A Deadly Form of Food Poisoning
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: I am seeking information about a type of food poisoning called
"bottled poison". I know it is very serious, for my brother-in-law almost
died from this condition. I have looked in all the books in our small library
but can find nothing written about this. Can you provide me with any
information to help us understand what happened?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: My first thought was that this was a case of poisoning from illegally
produced whiskey, "moonlighter's hootch" or "moonshine". Such liquor has been
known to produce serious problems, that might be considered food poisoning.
However, I felt that you would have understood that situation, and therefore
you had been mistaken about the real name of the condition. So, using a
computer search on a standard medical textbook, I entered the word "bottle"
and found, just 7 words away, the term "botulism"; and I believe that this is
the condition that fits the circumstances you described.
Botulism is indeed a most serious type of food poisoning, capable of
causing death if the amount of poison in the food is great enough. The poison
or "toxin" is produced by an organism, Clostridium botulinum, and it is the
most potent bacterial poison known. The organism is found in the soil and sea
water, and can form spores, which can contaminate food that is improperly
processed or cooked. The spores can resist low cooking temperatures, then
produce active organisms which in turn produce the toxins that taints the
food. The toxin is one that affects the nerves of the peripheral nervous
system. Symptoms of "botulism" include double vision, dry mouth, nausea and
vomiting and a progressive paralysis that starts with muscles in the face and
then descends down the body affecting the arms, chest muscles and finally the
legs. Treatment includes induced vomiting, if the poisoned food was eaten
recently, gastric irrigation, and laxatives. Antitoxins may be used within 24
hours after the start of symptoms, but they have some serious side effects and
are considered for use in only the most severe cases, which also require
hospitalization in an intensive care setting.
----------------
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.