Foodborne Botulism, Canada, 2006–20211

Abstract

During 2006–2021, Canada had 55 laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of foodborne botulism, involving 67 cases. The mean annual incidence was 0.01 case/100,000 population. Foodborne botulism in Indigenous communities accounted for 46% of all cases, which is down from 85% of all cases during 1990–2005. Among all cases, 52% were caused by botulinum neurotoxin type E, but types A (24%), B (16%), F (3%), and AB (1%) also occurred; 3% were caused by undetermined serotypes. Four outbreaks resulted from commercial products, including a 2006 international outbreak caused by carrot juice. Hospital data indicated that 78% of patients were transferred to special care units and 70% required mechanical ventilation; 7 deaths were reported. Botulinum neurotoxin type A was associated with much longer hospital stays and more time spent in special care than types B or E. Foodborne botulism often is misdiagnosed. Increased clinician awareness can improve diagnosis, which can aid epidemiologic investigations and patient treatment.

Botulism in fish: a review

“…24 The number of type E outbreaks in humans depends on the country and on dietary habits. 22 Type E outbreaks were also detected in poultry on farms in France in the late 1990s 33 ; the source of contamination was not identified, but this outbreak shows that type E botulism outbreaks can occur in species other than fish, piscivorous birds, and humans.…”

“…Other cases of type E human botulism have been reported associated with consumption of fish or other seafood. 22,35,41,46,53 An outbreak of human type B botulism was reported in France associated with consumption of homemade preserved sardines. 11,37 In that outbreak, C. botulinum was found in the fish but not in the marinade, suggesting that the origin of the outbreak was the fish, not the other components of the preparation.…”

Clinicopathological insights into an outbreak of foodborne botulism in Hamadan, Iran, in 2023: A microbiological and laboratory findings

“…Myasthenia gravis, tick paralysis, Guillain–Barre syndrome, poliomyelitis, stroke, and heavy metal toxicity are among the conditions in the differential diagnosis for foodborne botulism. 33 , 34 …”

“…Initiation of antitoxin treatment should not be delayed, especially when patients exhibit classic botulism symptoms, such as cranial nerve neuropathy and descending paralysis. 34 , 35 …”

Botulism Cases in Romania—An Overview of 14-Year National Surveillance Data

“…Later, the bacterium changes into a vegetative form and releases the toxin at the intestinal level. This form can occur in adults (adult intestinal colonization) or in children under 1 year of age (infant botulism) [9,11]. Wound botulism is produced by the contamination of wounds with C. botulinum spores, which later change into a vegetative form capable of secreting toxins.…”