Food Safety Issue- Botulism

My first time came across this term is during subject FPQA conducted in year 2, knowing that it's related to can food and food safety issue. Recently, I happened to read this article called 'Botulism' in WHO web. Here is the summary of what I learned from the article.

Generally, human botulism is an foodborne intoxication caused by extremely potent toxins preformed in foods which is Bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. Transmission of botulism between human is imposssible. However, wound infections or intestinal infection in infants are exceptional. Type A, B, E and rarely F cause human botulism. Types C, D and E cause illness in mammals, birds and fish. Sporulated form of bacterium is commonly present in soils, aquatic sediments and fish. Under anaerobic conditions, the heat-resistant spores can germinate and toxin is produced by bacterium.

12 to 36 hours after exposure to bacterium, symptoms caused by toxin appears. These are usually include dry mouth,double or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, drooping eyelids,difficult breathing, slurred speech,vomiting, urinary incontinence and sometimes diarrhea. Though cases of botulism is low, the mortality rate is high if treatment is not immediately imposed.

Good food preparation practices and hygiene ought to be implemented to prevent outbreak of botulism. Inactivation of the bacterial spores in heat-treatment canned products or by inhibiting growth in all other products may also prevent botulism.

In cosmetic field, bacterium Clostridium Botulinum is used to produce Botox, an injection used for clinical and cosmetic application. Treatment is on one condition that purified and diluted A neurotoxin are being used. Injection of Botox is administered according need of patient. Some side effetcs might occur after the injection.

Article available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs270/en/index.html
References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism