Clostridium botulinum
 Clostridium botulinum causes Botulism is a severe type of food poisoning caused by the ingestion of foods containing the neurotoxin formed during growth of the bacteria.
The toxin can be destroyed if heated to 80ºC for at least 10 minutes. The disease is rare but is of concern because of its high mortality rate. Clostridium botulinum and its spores are widely distributed in nature, they occur in both cultivated and forest soils, bottom sediments of streams, lakes, and coastal waters, and in the intestinal tracts of fish and mammals, and in the gills and viscera of crabs and other shellfish.
Onset (hours)
4 hours to 8 days
normally
18 to 36 hours
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Symptoms & duration of illness
Early signs are weakness and vertigo, followed by
double vision, difficulty in speaking, swallowing and breathing,
muscle weakness, abdominal distention, and constipation
Paralysis and death may follow
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Foods Incriminated
The organism is anaerobic and is therefore normally associated with canned, vacuumed packed or modified atmosphere foods.
The toxin from clostridium botulinum can be fatal when consumed in very small quantities and all people are believed to be susceptible.
More food poisoning organisms
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