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Botulism

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Definition

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The bacteria may enter the body through wounds, or they may live in improperly canned or preserved food.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear 8 - 36 hours after consuming contaminated food. There is NO fever with this infection.

In adults, symptoms may include:

Abdominal cramps
Breathing difficulty that may lead to respiratory failure
Difficulty swallowing and speaking
Double vision
Dry mouth
Nausea
Temporary lack of breathing
Vomiting
Weakness with paralysis (equal on both sides of the body)

Symptoms in infants may include:

Constipation
Weakness, loss of muscle tone
Weak cry
Poor feeding and weak sucking
Respiratory distress
Alertness, despite weakness

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Paralysis
Paralysis is defined as complete loss of strength in an affected limb or muscle group. More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly. More »
ADAM

Double-Vision
Visual disturbances are abnormalities of sight. Visual disturbances associated with neurological disorders often include double vision (diplopia), moving or blurred vision due to nystagmus (involuntary rapid movements of the eyes), reduced visual ... More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders

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