Botulism, a case report

Abstract

Botulism is a disease resulting from the action of a neurotoxin released by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Due to its effect at the neuromuscular junction, it can lead to a severe clinical syndrome that may progress to weakening of the breathing muscle and respiratory arrest. The most common way of infection is the result of the consumption of contaminated food, typically related to improper methods of food preparation. Therefore, it is very important to detect all the suspected cases at an early stage so that necessary measures can be taken.

A 23 years old woman with clinical suspicion of botulism was presented in the Emergency room of Donostia University Hospital after eating a home prepared tuna can, being finally admitted to Neurology ward. For botulism diagnosis, a serum/stool sample or a sample of the suspected food-can is needed to detect and confirm the presence of botulinic toxin. Additionally, it is crucial to identify the poisoned products to avoid more infected cases. Thus, botulism is a notifiable disease and should always be reported to a public health institution.