Abstract
Foodborne botulism is an intoxication caused by ingestion of food containing botulinum neurotoxin. Cases of foodborne botulism are usually sporadic (single, unrelated) but outbreaks of two or more cases occur. In this mini-review we will examine the following for the period 2001–2017, in the United States: botulism surveillance data, outbreaks of botulism affecting 10 or more people, and the public health preparedness and response approach.
Highlights
Potentially fatal illness caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT), produced by Clostridium botulinum, and rare strains of C. butyricum and C. baratii (Sobel, 2005)
Wound botulism is caused by spores of BoNT-producing species of Clostridium that germinate in a contaminated wound; the vegetative cells multiply and produce BoNT in situ
For the purpose of this report, “large outbreak” was defined as a laboratory confirmed outbreak of foodborne botulism that affected 10 or more people. This number was based on the average number of four cases per outbreak (United States, 2001– 2017). We focused on these large outbreaks to illustrate how the occurrence of botulism by the foodborne route can cause many cases of severe disease, which can strain local or regional medical resources
Summary
From 2013 to 2017, 29 probable foodborne botulism cases were identified in the United States and the median number of cases per year was 6 (range: 2 to 8 cases). We focused on these large outbreaks to illustrate how the occurrence of botulism by the foodborne route can cause many cases of severe disease, which can strain local or regional medical resources.
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