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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Use proper canning techniques
Be sure to use proper techniques when canning foods at home to ensure that any botulism germs in the food are destroyed:
- Pressure cook these foods at 250 F (121 C) for at least 30 minutes.
- Consider boiling these foods for 10 minutes before serving them.
Prepare and store food safely
- Don't eat preserved food if its container is bulging or if the food smells spoiled. However, taste and smell won't always give away the presence of C. botulinum. Some strains don't make food smell bad or taste unusual.
- If you wrap potatoes in foil before baking them, eat them hot or store them in the refrigerator — not at room temperature.
- Store oils infused with garlic or herbs in the refrigerator.
Infant botulism
To reduce the risk of infant botulism, avoid giving honey — even a tiny taste — to babies under the age of 1 year.
Wound botulism
To prevent wound botulism and other serious bloodborne diseases, never inject or inhale street drugs.
- Pegram PS, et al. Botulism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 29, 2010.
- Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/botulism_gi.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Botulism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec14/ch178/ch178c.html. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
- Sobel J. Botulism. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2005;41:1167.
- Abrutyn E. Botulism. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2867436. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
- Follow-up to the February 8, 2008, early communication about an ongoing safety review of Botox and Botox Cosmetic (Botulinum toxin Type A) and Myobloc (Botulinum toxin Type B). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm143819.htm. Accessed Feb. 5, 2010.
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