Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Foodborne botulism
Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin between 18 and 36 hours after the toxin gets into your body, but can range from a few hours to several days, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. Signs and symptoms of foodborne botulism include:
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Dry mouth
- Facial weakness on both sides of the face
- Blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
- Paralysis
Wound botulism
Most people who develop wound botulism inject drugs several times a day, so it's difficult to determine how long it takes for signs and symptoms to develop after the toxin enters the body. Most common in people who inject black tar heroin, wound botulism signs and symptoms include:
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Facial weakness on both sides of the face
- Blurred or double vision
- Drooping eyelids
- Trouble breathing
- Paralysis
Infant botulism
If infant botulism is related to food, such as honey, problems generally will begin within 18 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the baby's body. Signs and symptoms include:
- Constipation (often the first sign)
- Floppy movements due to muscle weakness and trouble controlling the head
- Weak cry
- Irritability
- Drooling
- Drooping eyelids
- Tiredness
- Difficulty sucking or feeding
- Paralysis
Certain signs and symptoms usually are absent with botulism, including no elevation in blood pressure or heart rate, no confusion, and no fever. However, fever is sometimes present with wound botulism.
When to see a doctor
Seek urgent medical care if you suspect that you have botulism. Early treatment increases your chances of survival. Seeking medical care promptly may also serve to alert public health authorities. They can keep other people from eating contaminated food.
- Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Botulism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec14/ch178/ch178c.html. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Manfredi M, et al. Dry mouth as an initial sign of food-borne botulism: A case report and review of the literature. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology. 2011;111:e15.
- Principles of home canning. United States Department of Agriculture. http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html. Accessed March 22, 2012.
- Chalk C, et al. Medical treatment for botulism. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/view/0/index.html. Accessed March 20, 2012.
- Zhang JC, et al. Botulism, where are we now? Clinical Toxicology. 2010;48:867.
- Botox medication guide. Food and Drug Administration. www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM176360.pdf. Accessed March 22, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on