Clostridium Botulinum
"You don't want this, so give it a diss!"
It's a nasty bacteria.
is a gram - positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming, motile bacteria with the ability to produce the neurotoxin botulinum. The botulinum toxin can cause a severe flaccid paralytic disease in humans and animals and is the most potent toxin known to humankind.
You don't want it, but we've all had it. (Botulism) Food Poisoning....
Botulism is a rare but potentially life-threatening bacterial illness. Clostridium Botulinum bacteria grows on food and produces toxins that, when ingested, cause paralysis. Botulism poisoning is extremely rare, but so dangerous that each case is considered a public health emergency.
This bacteria has a plan!
Botulism neurotoxins prevent neurotransmitters from functioning properly. This means that they inhibit motor control. As botulism progresses, the patient experiences paralysis from top to bottom, starting with the eyes and face and moving to the throat, chest, and extremities.
Where does it come from?
Most of the botulism cases reported each year come from foods that are not canned properly at home. Botulism from commercially canned food is rare, but commercial canned chili products were identified as the source of a botulism outbreak in 2007.
The symptoms that you DON'T want.
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Dry skin, mouth, and throat
- Slurred speech
Prevention.
The most important step in preventing botulism is to follow proper canning procedure. Ohio State University’s Extension Service provides a useful guide to sanitary canning techniques.