Botulism in Italy, 1986 to 2015

Abstract

Botulism is a rare but severe neuroparalytic disease caused by botulinum toxins. Because of its high potential impact on public health, botulism is a closely monitored communicable disease in Europe. In Italy, which has one of the highest incidence rates in Europe (0.03 cases per 100,000 population), botulism is monitored through a case-based passive surveillance system: the front-line physician who diagnoses a suspected case must notify the Local Health Units immediately, and the Ministry of Health's office within 12 hours. From 1986 to 2015, 466 confirmed cases of botulism were recorded in Italy (of 1,257 suspected cases). Of these, 421 were food-borne (the most frequently seen form of botulism due to the consumption of improperly home-canned foods), 36 were infant botulism, which accounts for ca 50% of all these types of cases registered in Europe, six were wound-related and three were due to adult intestinal colonisation. This scenario suggests that stronger efforts should be made towards raising public awareness of the risk of food-borne botulism, especially with respect to home-preserved foods, as well as improving the training of front-line medical personnel, to ensure that a quick and accurate diagnosis of botulism can be made.

Adult Intestinal Toxemia Botulism

“…From 1976 to 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 73 cases of botulism in patients >1 year of age, that were not "definitively classified as either foodborne or wound" [25]. The Italian National Reference Centre for Botulism identified a food vehicle in 30.7% of all laboratory confirmed incidents (86/285) from 1986 to 2015 [80], whereas the Botulism Reference Service for Canada determined a toxic food in 78.3% of laboratory confirmed botulism cases from 1985 to 2005 [72]. Determination of a toxic food during an investigation depends upon follow-up at the regional public health level by obtaining a food history and submission of food specimens for analysis.…”

Epidemiologia e fatores de riscos relacionados à intoxicação alimentar causada por Clostridium Botulinum: uma revisão narrativa

“…Na literatura consultada os principais sintomas, relacionados ao botulismo alimentar, identificados foram: visão turva (n = 8) 16,20,21,22,23,24,27,28 ; vômito (n = 8) 5,8,16,21,27,28,29,31 ; paralisia flácida (n = 7) 4, 10,11,15,23,27,28 ; náuseas (n = 6) 5,16,[27][28][29]31 ; tontura (n = 5) 11,21,22,24,29 ; diplopia (n = 5) 12,16,21,22,29 ; dificuldade respiratória (n = 5) 8,10,20,27,28 ; disatria (n = 4) 16,20,22,29 ; disfagia (n = 4) 20,21,22,29 ; boca seca (n = 4) 22,27,28,31 ; fraqueza muscular (n = 3) 8,20,24 ; ptose (n = 3) 27-29 e cefaleia (n = 3) de contaminação, 11 (65%) das 17 publicações pesquisadas identificaram as co...…”

“…Algumas das fontes potenciais mais reconhecidas de esporos de Clostridium botulinum causadores do botulismo infantil são: o mel (42%) 5,11,14,19,31 ; poeira (33%) 17,19,25,28 e ervas medicinais (33%) 1,18,19,31 . Os sintomas mais comuns observados na literatura foram: constipação (n = 5) 17,18,26,30,31 ; dificuldade respiratória (n = 3) 1,18,25 e dificuldade de sucção (n = 3) 17,25,31 .…”

“…Anniballi et al 31 observaram que do total de 1257 casos suspeitos de botulismo notificados, entre os anos de 1986 e 2015, 466 foram confirmados laboratorialmente, observando-se um aumento médio anual de 40 notificações e 15 confirmações. A maioria dos casos confirmados de botulismo alimentar (n = 421) ocorreu em áreas rurais da Itália e, em especial, na região da Campânia.…”

ELISA Based Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type F in Red Meat and Canned Fish

“…Inappropriate food preparation processes and the storage temperature conditions are the common reasons for the contamination of BoNT-producing Clostridial spores [8][9][10][11] . The temperature abuse of the home canned foods while transportation and storage facilitate the production of BoNTs in canned foods 12 .…”