Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 42, Issue 2 , Pages 226-229, August 2003

Foodborne botulism in a six-month-old infant caused by home-canned baby food☆☆☆

Department of Emergency Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA (Armada,Love); the Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, VA (Love, Barrett); Norfolk Health Department, Norfolk, VA (Monroe); Virginia Department of Health, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Richmond, VA (Peery); the Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA (Sobel)

Received 19 February 2003; received in revised form 29 March 2003; accepted 2 April 2003.

Address for correspondence: Manuel Armada, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Raleigh Building, Room 304, 600 Gresham Drive, Norfolk, VA 23507-1999; 757-668-3397, fax 757-668-2885; E-mail maarmada@cox.net.

Abstract 

Previously reported cases of botulism in infants have been diagnosed as infant botulism; that is, botulism caused by intestinal colonization by Clostridium botulinum with intraluminal production and absorption of toxin. Foodborne botulism is caused by ingestion of preformed toxin. We describe an unusual case of foodborne botulism in a 6-month-old infant caused by the ingestion of improperly prepared home-canned baby food. This represents the youngest age of onset for foodborne botulism in the United States of which we are aware and illustrates the need to rule out foodborne botulism, which represents a public health emergency, regardless of the patient's age. The diagnosis could have been readily missed or delayed in this case because the weakness was rapidly progressive rather than insidious, as is typical of infant botulism. [Ann Emerg Med. 2003;42:226-229.]

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☆ The authors report this study did not receive outside funding or support.

☆☆ Reprints not available from the authors.

PII: S0196-0644(03)00386-X

doi:10.1067/mem.2003.259

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 42, Issue 2 , Pages 226-229, August 2003

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