Infant Botulism — Diagnosis and Treatment

Botulism is neuromuscular paralysis secondary to a neurotoxin secreted from Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. It is a rare syndrome that results from food poisoning with the spore-forming clostridium bacteria. The ingested food is contaminated with the pre-secreted botulinum toxin. Infant botulism occurs with the ingestion of the clostridia spores that later germinate and colonize the intestine and secrete the neurotoxin. Other forms of botulism include; wound botulism where the toxin is secreted in infected wounds, inhalational botulism in biological wars and iatrogenic botulism rarely in people using botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes.