What conditions cause botulinum toxin to develop?
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the conditions for Clostridium botulinum spores to grow and produce toxins are environments with little or no oxygen, low acid, low sugar and salt, at a certain temperature and amount of water.
Therefore, improperly canned or home-fermented foods can create the right conditions for spores to grow and produce botulinum toxin. Eating these foods can lead to poisoning.
In addition to food poisoning, botulinum also causes other types of poisoning such as infant poisoning (when bacterial spores enter, develop in the child's intestines and produce disease-causing toxins); wound poisoning such as when spores enter wounds from drug injections, car accidents, etc. and produce toxins); iatrogenic poisoning such as when too much botulinum toxin is injected, for example in cosmetic surgery. Intestinal poisoning in adults is similar to poisoning in infants.
What are the symptoms of botulinum poisoning?
All symptoms of botulism are due to muscle paralysis caused by the toxin. If left untreated, the disease can progress to complete paralysis of certain muscles, such as the respiratory muscles, and the muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk. In foodborne botulism, symptoms usually begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food.
Signs and symptoms of botulinum poisoning may include difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, drooping eyelids, blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty breathing, difficulty moving the eyes. In addition, signs and symptoms of food poisoning may also include vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Signs and symptoms in newborns may include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, slow response to light, less expressive face than usual, weak cry that sounds different from normal, difficulty breathing.
However, people with botulinum poisoning may not have all of these symptoms at the same time. If you have symptoms of botulinum poisoning, go to a medical facility immediately for timely treatment.
Do not use canned products that are expired, swollen, or flattened.
8 keys to preventing botulinum poisoning
To proactively ensure food safety, HCDC recommends that people follow the following keys:
- In production and processing, we must use ingredients that ensure food safety and comply with hygiene regulations in the production process.
- In canned food production, strict sterilization regime must be followed.
- Only use food products and ingredients with clear origin.
- Absolutely do not use canned products that are expired, swollen, flattened, deformed, rusty, not intact, or have unusual odors or colors.
- Eat cooked food and drink boiled water. Prioritize eating newly prepared and cooked foods.
- Do not seal foods and leave them for long periods of time in unfrozen conditions.
- With fermented foods, packaged or covered in the traditional way (such as pickles, bamboo shoots, pickled eggplants...), it is necessary to ensure that they are sour and salty. When the food is no longer sour, it should not be eaten.
- When symptoms of botulinum poisoning appear, go immediately to the nearest medical facility for timely diagnosis and treatment.
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