Botulism is an acute infectious disease that develops in response to the penetration of a toxin into the human body Clostridium botulinum. This happens when food containing bacteria is included in the diet. Symptoms of botulism are associated with damage to the central and autonomic nervous system, which causes muscle paralysis and paresis.

The cause of botulism is a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, which has the appearance of rounded rods located in small chains or random clusters. In the presence of unfavorable conditions for development, bacteria form terminal and subterminal spores, which allow them to maintain their vital activity in the environment.

A certain temperature is required for the formation of toxins and clostridia environment: not less than 35 degrees. At high temperatures bacteria die within half an hour. The causative agent of botulism is killed by boiling, but is highly resistant to the action of trypsin, pepsin and table salt. If the toxin is present in food, it does not affect the appearance And taste qualities food.

Progress and causes of botulism

Where is the causative agent of botulinum toxin found? Sources of infection include animals, fish, birds, humans and soil. Toxins are released from the infected body along with feces. The patient himself does not pose a danger to others. The mechanism of transmission of botulism is fecal-oral.

Among the main reasons for the development of botulism are:

• canned food and jars with bulging lids;
• dried and smoked fish and meat products;
• contaminated honey (poisoning occurs mainly in children).

The most common poisoning is from canned food prepared at home. The reason is non-compliance with storage recommendations or violations during the conservation process. Poisoning canned mushrooms And canned fish can pose a danger not only to health, but also to human life. That is why you should pay special attention to the quality of the food you eat. The first sign that the product is spoiled is a swollen lid!

There is such a thing as wound botulism. In this case, toxin formation occurs in the area of ​​necrotic tissue. In infants, botulism can develop in the intestines.

Incubation period

For development infectious process may take from several hours to a day. Duration incubation period depends on the amount of infection that has entered the body. It usually takes 2 to 3 days for botulinum toxins to penetrate the body before the appearance of primary symptoms. Sometimes this process takes up to 10 days. As a rule, this is due to the fact that the sick person drank alcohol.

Botulism appears suddenly. Primary signs remind . The toxin is absorbed into the intestinal mucosa along with contaminated foods and spreads through the bloodstream throughout the body.

The targets are all vital organs. The sooner symptoms appear infectious disease, the more severe the course of botulism itself.

Symptoms of botulism

The primary symptoms of the infectious process are nonspecific. Manifestations of botulism are short-term and resemble infectious intoxication and acute gastroenteritis. This is accompanied by the appearance of pain in the center of the abdomen, diarrhea (no more than 10 times a day), headaches, weakness and increased body temperature (39-40 degrees).

Symptoms of botulism poisoning:

• Visual impairment. Decreased visual acuity, fog before the eyes, double vision, ptosis (drooping upper eyelid), strabismus, limitation of movements eyeballs.
• Dysfunctions of the speech and swallowing center. Dryness in oral cavity, change in voice timbre, hoarseness, sensation foreign object in the throat. When trying to swallow food, difficulties arise; water pours out through the nose.
• Respiratory disorders. Lack of oxygen, increased breathing and chest pain.
• Movement disorders. Increasing muscle weakness in the area posterior muscles neck. The patient has to hold his head with his hands so that it does not fall on his chest.

Degrees of botulism

Signs of botulism poisoning, as they say on the face. The person becomes inactive, the face turns pale and becomes mask-like. Bilateral ptosis is observed, the pupils dilate and strabismus appears. Symptoms include speech impairment and mild bloating. The patient has difficulty sticking his tongue out of his mouth.

Based on how the symptoms increase, the degree of infection of the body can be distinguished:

• Easy. The symptoms are erased, muscle weakness and a change in voice timbre are observed. Lasts for 2-64 hours.
• Average. All symptoms of botulism are present, except for impaired swallowing reflex and lack of voice. There are no life-threatening disorders. Lasts for 2-3 weeks.
• Heavy. The development of disorders of swallowing functions, muscles of the larynx and pharynx is observed. There are quite severe disorders of the swallowing reflex. Without treatment, death occurs within 2-3 days.

To learn more about what botulism is, watch the video

Making a diagnosis

Symptoms of botulism on initial stage development is often mistaken for food poisoning. Measures taken in that case it is not enough. In order to detect botulism, the following measures are taken:

• The doctor collects anamnesis: clarifies whether fish or other preserves were included in the diet.
• The symptoms of poisoning are thoroughly studied. Special attention focuses on visual and swallowing disorders.
• Laboratory diagnostics are carried out: general analysis blood, vomit and gastric lavage are examined. Urine and feces are collected for laboratory research. If possible, botulinum toxin in food products is determined.

To carry out laboratory diagnostics It is enough to take 15-20 ml of biological fluid. In the laboratory, a special serum of type A, B or E is injected into it. The resulting solution is injected into the bloodstream of white mice. If they survive, the type of toxin can be determined. Which is produced in the body of a sick person. The result of such a test takes at least 4 days. If a person is poisoned by canned food, treatment for botulism begins immediately. If the reason is unclear, then before prescribing drug therapy it is necessary to wait for the results of the studies. During this time, the patient receives supportive treatment.

How to help with botulism poisoning?

At the first sign of poisoning, you should call ambulance. You should not put off calling a doctor for a minute. Therapeutic serum for botulism only helps for 72 hours after infection. Even light form the disease can cause respiratory arrest, in which death is inevitable. Drug therapy botulism is carried out in the department intensive care infectious diseases hospital.

What actions should be taken before the doctor arrives?

After calling an ambulance, you must:

• Perform gastric lavage using soda solution(2% concentration). Alkaline environment detrimental to botulinum toxin. Gastric lavage will be effective only during the first 2 days after poisoning. After the contaminated foods exit the stomach. The procedure does not give any result.
• Give a high (siphon) enema. Take 10 liters of cooled boiled water and add 500 g to it baking soda. Introduce a portion of the solution into the intestines and after some time pour it out. The procedure for cleansing the intestines should be carried out at least 5 times.
• Take enterosorbent. Among the most effective drugs with botulism, “”, “” and “” can be distinguished. Non-concentrated alkaline drink is effective.

Specific drug therapy

After admission to the hospital, the patient is taken biological fluid to identify the type of toxin. Next, a special test is carried out to check its effectiveness. To do this, a small dosage of horse serum (diluted) is injected subcutaneously and a reaction is observed: if after 15 minutes the papule in the injection area does not increase more than 9 mm, then a concentrated solution is injected. If there is no reaction, the required dosage is administered to suppress the activity of bacteria in the body.

As additional therapeutic measures for botulism they carry out:

• Homologous plasma - volume 250 ml, 2 times a day.
• Antibotulinum human immunoglobulin.

The patient is recovering very slowly. Among the first signs of recovery is the normalization of salivation processes. Then visual functions are restored and muscle weakness disappears. Although botulism causes serious problems internal organs and nervous system, the resulting dysfunctions disappear without a trace.

How to avoid poisoning?

Prevention of botulism includes the following measures:

• Proper processing and cleaning of food products, compliance with all specified standards when canning.
• Canned fish poisoning can be avoided by eliminating cans with bulging lids from your diet. To neutralize a suspicious product, it can be boiled for half an hour.
• Products that cannot be heat treated should be stored at a temperature of no more than 10 degrees.

People who shared food with a poisoned person. Must be under medical supervision for 10-12 days. As a preventive measure, they are given enterosorbents and anti-botulinum antitoxic serum A, B or E.

Persons exposed to botulinum bacteria mandatory must be vaccinated. To carry out the vaccination, polyanatoxin is used in several stages: the first injection, the second after 45 days, the third after 60 days (after the second).

Infectious disease doctor, private clinic"Medcenterservice", Moscow. Senior editor of the website “Poisoning Stop”.

Food botulism is enough common occurrence. Not a day goes by in the summer without the news announcing that people have been poisoned at weddings, birthday parties, and so on. As a rule, the culprit is improper storage and processing of products, as a result of which the disease occurs. But the most interesting thing is that many people don’t even know what foods can cause botulism when consumed.

Pathogenic bacteria are usually found in meat or mushrooms. But let's figure out what other products botulism can be found in, which is dangerous for our health and even life.

Clostridium botulinum bacterium

The process of development of botulism in products

Clostridium botulism - anaerobic bacteria, which develop in the absence of oxygen. Botulism occurs when clostridium bacteria grow and, as they grow, produce toxins in food before consumption. Most often this occurs in canned food, as well as in products that have not been well processed.

Many people are afraid of store-bought canned food, but at the same time they treat homemade pickling and canning easily and without prejudice. What bad could come from homemade mushrooms or stew that mother and grandmother lovingly covered? But according to statistics, 85% of cases of poisoning occur due to home canning.

This is due to the fact that jars for pickling and sourdough may not undergo sufficient heat treatment, products may not be washed well before preservation, and so on. With large-scale production, this risk is reduced to a minimum, since everything is carefully sterilized and tested in laboratory conditions.

85% of poisonings involve home canning

Which foods are more likely than others to become breeding grounds for botulism bacteria? Typically these include:

• pickled mushrooms;
• jam:
• canned and pickled vegetables.

Products - sources of botulism

Botulism – in what products does it occur? Mushrooms, cucumbers, fish, meat are familiar foods to us. We are used to eating them, perhaps not every day, but several times a month for sure. But even our favorite foods can harm us, for example, in canned, salted and pickled form.

In order to avoid becoming a victim of this dangerous disease, you must adhere to all necessary rules during their preparation and consumption.

In compote

Homemade compote can also be dangerous

It’s unusual for us to think that a delicious homemade compote can cause botulism. And yet it is worth understanding that the pathogen of this disease lives in the soil, with it it can get on berries, for example, strawberries or wild strawberries. Therefore, these blanks are at risk, since if not correct processing products or utensils, something irreparable can happen.

The most dangerous thing is that it is absolutely impossible to find out whether there is botulism in the jar. The compote does not reveal itself either in taste or color. Therefore, you need to be very careful with home canning, as well as with buying treasured jars from unknown people in spontaneous markets.

In honey

Can there be botulism in honey? It's pretty controversial issue. WITH medical point point of view, it is possible to doubt that such useful product beekeeping can become a carrier of such dangerous bacteria. To date, there is no reliable evidence that botulism can occur in honey.

In milk

Do pathogens appear in milk? Regular and fresh milk does not and cannot contain botulism bacteria. But about powdered milk It's worth talking. As you know, this white powder is used to prepare infant formula, condensed milk, etc. And it is in such canned food that botulism can occur.

It is especially worth noting that powdered milk perfectly preserves botulism bacteria, which can get into it if stored improperly. Therefore, if you buy such a product, then you should not chase the cheapness. It is important to choose high-quality raw materials and not skimp on it.

Botulism may occur in infant formulas

In sauerkraut

A recurring question is, can sauerkraut develop botulism? As mentioned above, clostridia botulism occurs only in a completely anaerobic environment, that is, without air intake. As a rule, they occur when sealing cans that have not been properly sterilized.

WITH sauerkraut the situation is somewhat different. Since it is not canned so often, but placed in a container with a tight-fitting lid. This means that in this case there are no optimal conditions for reproduction. pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, you can eat cabbage calmly and with pleasure.

In tomatoes

In cucumbers and tomatoes, botulism is not as common as, for example, in mushrooms or fish. But still, you shouldn’t eat tomatoes from a bloated jar. This only means one thing: it was violated process conservation.

Botulism is life-threatening

Again, this practically never occurs in production. canned food, but in a home cellar such a situation is quite possible. And you shouldn’t be dismissive of it, thinking that it doesn’t mean anything.

Before canning, jars must be sterilized for fifteen minutes. And it’s probably not worth saying that the vegetables should definitely be washed well, preferably under hot running water, to ensure that the dirt is washed off.

Conclusion

If you are a big fan of pickled foods, you should take all precautions before consuming them.

Botulism is unforgiving. You don’t need to listen to your relatives, who enthusiastically tell you that in our time there was no botulism, so eat from a swollen jar and don’t worry. This is a very deceptive approach to your health and even life.

If you compare rattlesnake venom and the toxin produced by botulism bacteria, snake venom loses by a wide margin. Since botulism is almost four hundred times more dangerous!

What you need to know before eating canned foods:

Video

Watch the video about dangerous bacteria Clostridium Botulinum, which causes botulism.

Botulism is quite serious illness toxic-infectious nature, the course of which leads to damage to the nervous system, spinal and medulla oblongata. Botulism, the symptoms of which appear when botulinum toxin-containing products, aerosols and water enter the body, as a result of a complex of processes also leads to the development of acute and progressive respiratory failure. As a result of the lack of proper treatment for botulism, death cannot be ruled out.

General description

To define this disease, the Latin word botulus is used, translated as sausage. The fact is that for the first time the causative agent of the disease in question was discovered precisely in sausage, and subsequently in the bodies of people who died after eating it. To this day, the main causes of botulism are the consumption of ham, smoked fish and salted fish.

In addition to the ingestion of toxins from food, other routes of infection with botulism are possible, which determines such types of this disease as, for example, neonatal botulism or wound botulism. Due to good absorption, saturation of the blood with the toxin occurs within the first day from the moment it enters the body, however, those doses that come into contact with nerve tissue did not happen, already on the third or fourth day they are excreted from the body in the urine. Regarding pathogenetic mechanisms, contributing to the development of intoxication, then on at the moment they are not entirely clear.

Causes of botulism. Transfer methods

If the carrier of the causative agent of this disease is an animal, then there is no visible harm to it under the influence of the infection. As for the sick people themselves, they are not epidemiologically dangerous for those around them.

Isolation of bacteria from an infected organism in any case occurs through fecal or orally when they subsequently enter water, soil, etc. External environment some of its elements can become contaminated through the decomposition of birds and rodents that died from the disease in question (that is, directly through their corpses). The actual mechanism of transmission of the disease is fecal-oral.

As for the causes of botulism, they consist in the consumption of foods such as home canning(especially vegetables and mushrooms), ham, fish (salted, smoked), sausages. Almost all those products that have been subjected to soil contamination or contamination through the intestinal contents of animals, fish and birds contain spores of the causative agent of the disease we are considering.

Botulism in newborns, as well as wound botulism, are much less common. In the first case, the disease occurs against the background of clostridia entering the intestines with the subsequent production of a toxin in it; in the second case, due to the lack of oxygen access in necrotic and crushed wounds, conditions close to anaerobic are created, as a result of which spores begin to germinate in them with subsequent accumulation botulinum toxin.

It is noteworthy that good absorption of the toxin is observed not only when considering this process within the gastrointestinal mucosa, but also when this process is relevant for the ocular mucous membranes and mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. This, in turn, determines the corresponding danger of the toxin in the event of its possible use as a biological weapon.

If we talk about the susceptibility of people to botulism, then, as you can see, it is quite high. Considering the fact that the activity of the toxin occurs within minimal doses, this, in turn, excludes the possibility of the appearance of corresponding immune reactions on the part of the body; accordingly, immunity in relation to such exposure is simply not developed.

Botulism: symptoms

Duration incubation period In the vast majority of cases, the duration of this disease is quite short and is on the order of several hours. Meanwhile, in some cases it is possible to extend it to a period of 7-10 days, which, accordingly, determines the need for constant monitoring during this time of the health status of each person who consumed the product that acted as the main cause. for the appearance of the first reported case of this disease.

Regarding initial period, then here the symptoms of the disease can be characterized by their own vagueness, as well as blurredness, that is, similarity with a number of other types of diseases, as a result of which early diagnosis becomes difficult. Based on the nature of the clinic of a given period, the following conditional variations with their characteristic symptoms can be distinguished:

• Gastroenteric. Expressed painful sensations cramping type in the epigastric area, vomiting (one or two times) may also occur with the release of eaten foods. The course of the disease may resemble symptoms food poisoning. At the same time, it is important to take into account the fact that botulism is not characterized by a pronounced increase in temperature, while its course is characterized by the development of significant dryness noted in the area of ​​the oral mucosa, and a small, essentially, loss of fluid in this case does not have such a manifestation. explains. Also under frequent symptoms During this period, there is difficulty in passing food along the esophagus, which is described by patients as a feeling of “a lump in the throat.”
• "Ocular." It is characterized by the appearance of disorders associated with visual function. In particular, such disorders may include “floaters” or fog before the eyes, a feeling of a grid and loss of clarity in viewing the contours of surrounding objects. Possible drooping eyelids (or ptosis), strabismus, unevenness in the condition of the pupils or their dilation, double vision. It also happens that during this period so-called acute farsightedness develops, which can be corrected using plus lenses for this. Severe cases of the disease may also be accompanied by immobility of the eyeballs.
• Respiratory failure. This variant of the course of botulism is the most dangerous of those listed, at least due to the lightning speed of its own development. Manifestations of respiratory failure include the appearance of shortness of breath and tachycardia, cyanosis (that is, cyanosis of the mucous membranes and skin). Breathing according to its type in any of the variants is defined as pathological. The actual danger of this period is that, in addition to the severity of the listed manifestations, it becomes possible for death to occur, and this can occur within the next 3-4 hours.

Now let's take a closer look at the stage the height of botulism. The clinical manifestations of this disease are quite characteristic; it is distinguished by a combination of certain syndromes. Thus, there are disturbances in the movement of the eyeballs, swallowing is impaired, which initially applies only to hard foods, and then to liquid ones. In the latter case, even an attempt to drink ordinary water leads to its pouring out through the nose, which occurs as a result of paresis of the swallowing muscles (that is, their characteristic weakness due to “disconnection” from the nervous system).

In addition, within this period of the course of the disease, phonation disturbances are observed, which are characterized by a sequence of progression in the form of four main stages. So, initially there is hoarseness of the voice or a decrease in timbre, which occurs as a result of dryness noted in the mucous ligaments.

Then dysarthria begins to develop, which is described as a feeling of “porridge in the mouth”, after which a change in voice in favor of nasality may be observed. In the end, the changes reach the stage of the appearance of complete aphonia, that is, the absence of a voice in its sonorous form when moving to a whisper, which is explained by paresis vocal cords. Due to the absence of a cough impulse, the patient experiences attacks of suffocation, which occurs as a result of liquid or mucus entering the larynx.

In some cases (although not on a permanent basis), innervation disorders may be observed, manifested in the form of facial distortion, as well as the inability to bare teeth, etc.

Also, at the height of botulism, patients may experience complaints of severe muscle weakness and unsteady gait (which can be compared to the gait of a drunk person). The first hours of the disease may occur in combination with dry oral mucosa and constipation.

As for temperature, it often has normal indicators, only occasionally increasing to low-grade levels. Tachycardia (increased heart rate) also appears, possible arterial hypertension(i.e. increased pressure), shortness of breath, shallow breathing, dilated pupils. Tachycardia can also alternate with bradycardia (a condition in which, on the contrary, the heart rate decreases).

Urodynamic disorders are possible, manifested in the form of involuntary urination or, conversely, in the form acute delay urine discharge. Current muscle weakness is most pronounced in the area of ​​the occipital muscles, which, in turn, leads to drooping of the head and attempts by patients to hold it. This state can persist for about six months. Hearing functions and consciousness remain normal, and there are no disturbances in the sensitive area.

Wound botulism, infant botulism: main features

As we have already noted, these forms of botulism are not that common. Meanwhile, there are certain characteristic features for them:

• infection occurs by spore-forming rather than vegetative forms;
• the duration of the incubation period is noted;
• there is no gastroenteric period during the course of the disease;
• symptoms of botulism in newborns manifest themselves in weakness of sucking or even refusal of it, in lethargy and stool retention, weakening of sucking or swallowing reflexes, ophthalmological (above - “eye”) symptoms of the disease are also relevant, hoarse crying;
• complications in children (for example, in the form of pneumonia) are observed much more often, in addition, deaths are more common among them.

Complications of botulism

Complications of botulism can be of three types, each of which is characterized by its own manifestations:

• Specific complications. This includes myositis with frequent damage to the calf, occipital and thigh muscles, which manifests itself in the form of swelling and difficulty in attempting to make movements, as well as pain. In addition to myositis, the possibility of such specific complication, as damage to the cardiac nerve nodes, which, in turn, leads to the formation of arrhythmias in patients.
• Bacterial (secondary) complications. This includes pneumonia and purulent form tracheobronchitis, atelectasis and pyelonephritis, as well as sepsis.
• Post-treatment (or iatrogenic) complications. They manifest themselves in the form of intestinal atrophy, serum sickness, hyperphosphatemia, hyperglycemia.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of botulism is based on the following data:

Epidemic data (for example, consumption of home-canned products by patients);
- clinical data (concentration of damage to the nervous system and its symmetry, relevance of intoxication, febrile, meningeal and cerebral syndromes);
- laboratory diagnostic data (in particular, it is focused on identifying the pathogen in patient biomaterials and in products; RN (that is, a neutralization reaction) in combination with ELISA is also applicable ( enzyme immunoassay));
- data regarding the identification of the level of a specific type of enzymes, on the basis of which the degree of compensation relevant for blood vessels and the heart is determined (in addition, in this case, an ECG is performed).

Botulism: treatment

The duration of the disease can be about three weeks, which is important provided that the required treatment is provided. Recovery neurological symptoms performed in the reverse order, focusing initially on breathing, and then on swallowing.

Other manifestations of botulism symptoms are cured without any particular sequence, and they may persist for a long period of time (about 1.5 months or longer). In patients who have recovered from botulism, all symptoms disappear without a trace and, accordingly, without any consequences. If treatment is not performed, the possibility of death cannot be ruled out. The treatment itself, in particular, consists of several stages:

• The use of anti-botulinum equine antitoxic serum, which, in turn, can be monovalent or polyvalent (this option is relevant when the type of botulinum toxin is unknown). Human immunoglobin (antibotulinum) can also be used.
• With the serum indicated above in any of its variants, prednisolone is also administered, whose action is intended to exclude the possibility of developing anaphylactic shock. Also, to prevent the latter manifestation, a test using small doses is carried out before the administration of the serum, subsequently, if it does not occur allergic reaction, then the dose of prednisolone is increased.
• As a result of the current paresis for patients, the risk of blockage of their airways and the development of respiratory failure increases. These factors are life-threatening, and therefore it is necessary to provide patients with parenteral and tube nutrition while simultaneously connecting them to the device artificial ventilation lungs.
• In case of actual myocardial damage, cytoprotectors are prescribed.
• Bacterial complications require the use of antibiotics wide range actions.
• Early stages diseases require exposure to the pathogen also through the gastrointestinal tract, which is achieved through cleansing enemas, gastric lavage and the administration of sorbents.

Additionally, a diet is prescribed (No. 10), dishes rich in extractive components are excluded from the diet, as well as fatty foods and spices. Semi-bed/bed rest is also prescribed.

An important point that should be highlighted as a result of our article is the need immediate call"ambulance" for signs food poisoning(nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain) in combination with severe muscle weakness, speech and visual disturbances, as well as with swallowing disorders. Otherwise, delay and exclusion of such assistance may lead to fatal outcome!

First aid for botulism (poisoning with suspected this disease) consists, in addition to calling an ambulance, in giving the patient large quantity fluids and providing him with access to fresh air. If breathing stops, you must proceed to the procedure artificial respiration. It is also important to find, if possible, the remains of the food that was eaten by the patient before the onset of this condition - this is necessary for laboratory tests.

Botulism has been known for many centuries; the disease dates back to the time when people began to eat undercooked meat. The disease is known mainly from home-canned meats and other home-produced meat products - due to insufficient heat treatment meat becomes a breeding ground for the very dangerous botulinum toxin. But what else food products can cause botulism? There is enough information about this, as well as about methods of infection and methods of preventing this dangerous infection need to know in detail.

Briefly about botulism

However, there are quite wide list products that may also be contaminated with dangerous spores. The fact is that the bacterium Clostridium bothulinum lives in the soil and is distributed quite widely, which allows it naturally appear wherever there is access to land.

Ways to prevent botulism

Due to the fact that botulinus reproduces only in an anaerobic environment, that is, in an airless space, home preservation has become an ideal place for the reproduction of this bacterium. The problem is quite relevant, since home spinners rarely think about how long a particular product needs to be cooked in order for all the bacteria in it to die.

Fish

Cold-blooded animals are much less susceptible to botulism infection than warm-blooded animals, but botulism in fish is quite common. Thus, when purchasing fresh fish, the risks of poisoning can be minimized by careful heat treatment and pre-marinade in acidic environment, however, when purchasing a finished product, there is every chance of purchasing a poisoned product. IN smoked fish If stored improperly, the botulinus bacillus multiplies - before purchasing, inquire about how to store this product; fish cannot be stored in airtight packaging - there must always be access to air. It would be useful to ask where and under what conditions it was smoked, and how long it took. Do not buy such delicacies in places without documents on compliance with sanitary standards. Spores may also be present in dried fish; if the quality is questionable, such a product should be discarded. It is worth remembering that a product contaminated with botulism does not change its smell.

If fish is dried, smoked or salted in warm conditions If the fish was stored for a long time in a warehouse before being processed, and if it was not refrigerated immediately after catch and until processing, it becomes potentially hazardous to health. If there was botulinum in the intestines of such a fish, then it will begin to actively multiply, infecting the tissues of the fish. All this ultimately leads to poisoning. If salted fish is properly processed and gutted in a timely manner, there will be no threat of botulism infection - which is why you need to be careful about where you purchase this product and give preference to reliable manufacturers. Such fish should be stored at a temperature not exceeding 10C.

Meat

Unlike live animals infected with botulism, it is much more difficult to identify the causative agent of botulinum toxin in a prepared product. A sick animal has pronounced damage to the central nervous system, an unsteady gait, damage to the mucous membranes and other signs. But what is a sign of an unsafe meat product?

Due to the fact that botulinum toxin multiplies only in a sealed environment, without air access, it can potentially dangerous product most often they are canned food - swelling of the can will clearly indicate such a sign. You cannot eat such canned food.

If you have relatively safe homemade canned food at home, you should wash it before eating it. open form Boil in a water bath for at least 30 minutes. Undercooked meat, blood sausage and other home-produced delicacies become extremely dangerous experiments– It is better to buy such products in specialized stores.

Vegetables

Pickling mushrooms, sealing various pickles for the winter - such a pastime has already become a national trait. The cuisine beloved by Russians can become truly dangerous. Do not neglect safety rules: it is necessary to boil absolutely all vegetables before rolling them into jars for at least 5 minutes. It should be remembered that an airless environment allows botulinum toxin to multiply very quickly.

Berries, fruits, honey

Botulism in jam is a rare phenomenon, since all the berries and fruits from which jam is made generally contain enough acid, and any acid suppresses Cl. bothulinum and stops its development. If, when cooking jam, there is sufficient heat treatment necessary to completely inactivate the bacteria - boiling for at least 30 minutes - then there is nothing to fear. Botulism in wine is also quite possible, although the effects of alcohol may partially suppress the botulinum toxin. In homemade wine, the proliferation of dangerous bacteria occurs due to the lack of sufficient conditions for control and full compliance with the necessary sanitary standards.

Possible infection of pollen with botulinum toxin, which will later be collected by bees for honey. Therefore, botulism in honey is a direct danger for infants, because this ingredient is sometimes added to their complementary foods. Infant botulism from honey is extremely rare and occurs when mixtures containing honey are consumed when the child is bottle-fed.

Botulinum toxin may be contained in vegetable oil, hitting the raw material, which is intended for squeezing it.

Thus, due to the extreme prevalence in natural environment Botulism can be a serious health threat. Take care of yourself and your loved ones.