Botulism is a serious bacterial illness. An individual acquires the bacteria through open wounds or by consuming improperly canned foods. According to Medline Plus, the condition is rare and affects only around 110 individuals yearly. Infants are the most likely group of people to become infected. The symptoms for infections stemming from food or wounds are the same. Over time, without treatment, the symptoms worsen and lead to symptoms that are more serious, even fatal.
Initial Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of a botulism infection begin to occur 18 to 36 hours after ingesting the contaminated food. If the bacteria enter the body through a wound, the symptoms begin to manifest after about 10 days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the initial symptoms associated with a botulism infection include vision changes and muscular weakness. Vision changes include blurry vision, double vision and drooping of the eyelids. Muscular difficulties include difficulty speaking and swallowing as well as muscular weakness in the extremities. An individual with botulism may also experience a dry mouth, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
Untreated Infection Symptoms
If the condition is not treated, the symptoms worsen, especially the muscular weakness. The worsening of the symptoms leads to serious medical conditions and possibly death. The muscles may fail completely, causing paralysis in the extremities and difficulty breathing due to extreme weakness in the chest muscles. The paralysis can occur on one side or both sides of the body. The difficulty breathing may lead to complete respiratory failure.
Infant Symptoms
Because they are unable to communicate the same way as adults, infants with botulism may show different or additional symptoms. Infants may appear sleepier than normal and eat less than they usually do. Most often, babies will also experience constipation. Weak muscle tone and a weakened cry also accompany symptoms of botulism in babies. Controlling the head is also a difficulty for infants with the infection.
