What is Botulinum toxin and why can it cause dangerous poisoning?

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Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, this is a very powerful poison, only 0.03 mcg intravenously can kill a person weighing 70kg. Patients are often infected with botulinum toxin when eating canned foods that do not guarantee storage conditions.

1.Botulinum toxin origin

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (C.botulinum). This is an anaerobic gram-positive, rod-shaped, round, hairy, motile bacterium. Under extreme conditions, C.botulinum bacteria can turn into extremely strong, highly viable spores. Therefore, C.botulinum is very widely distributed in nature, can be found in garden soil, fresh or composted animal manure, dirt, pond water, lake water, livestock intestine, especially thrives. in rancid food, canned meat for a long time...

C.botulinum bacteria have anaerobic characteristics, so they cannot grow in well-ventilated places with enough oxygen. At the same time, bacteria cannot grow in acidic (pH < 4.6), salty (salt concentration > 5%) environments. When canned food contains a few C.botulinum spores due to unsafe production processes, in a sealed environment without oxygen, if the food does not have enough salinity and acidity, favorable conditions will be created. for bacteria to multiply, grow, secrete botulinum toxin. This is a common cause of food poisoning. In the past, canned meat poisoning is common, but other foods such as vegetables, tubers, fruits, meat, seafood, etc., if produced and preserved, are not properly can cause clostridium botulinum toxin poisoning. This situation often occurs in families, small food production and business, not strictly controlled for quality. For example, in Thailand, poisoning of this type has occurred due to bamboo shoots, in China due to fermented beans, in Vietnam, vegetarian pate poisoning,... The trend of poisoning is increasing in the world due to the trend of using it. air bags containing food, improper use of the refrigerator, not cooked enough before eating,...

2. How dangerous is clostridium botulinum toxin?

The toxin caused by C. botulinum is a neurotoxin that is a polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 150 thousand Daltons. Botulinum toxin includes 7 types, denoted by letters from A to G. In which poisoning types A and B are the most common, then E and F, the remaining types are less common. Botulinum toxin is a powerful poison, only 0.03 mcg intravenously can kill a person weighing 70kg, 1kg can kill 1 billion people.
Patients often get botulinum toxin through toxins in food. All foods, if not stored properly, can cause food poisoning. Common sources of disease are canned foods with low acidity such as beans, peas, canned meat, canned fish, etc. Children under one year of age can also be poisoned with clostridium botulinum toxin if they use honey or milk powder containing honey. C. botulinum spore form. Spores after entering the digestive tract will grow and produce toxins. In addition, botulinum toxin can also be transmitted through wounds. This form is common in people who inject drugs.

3. Symptoms of botulinum toxin poisoning

Botulinum toxin in food, after entering the digestive tract, will not be destroyed by gastric acid and digestive enzymes, but will be absorbed in the duodenum and jejunum into the blood, and then penetrate nerve cells , which blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at presynaptic nerve endings. Nerve impulses are disrupted causing symptoms of motor paralysis. The following symptoms usually start 12-36 hours after eating (maybe up to 1 week after eating):
Digestive: If botulinum toxin is caused by food poisoning, the patient will soon appear nauseated, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, then functional intestinal paralysis, constipation. Nervous system: The patient has bilateral symmetrical paralysis, originating from the head, face, neck and legs with symptoms of drooping eyelids, double vision, blurred vision, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, hoarseness, dryness mouth . Then paralysis of the arms, paralysis of the muscles of the chest, abdomen and paralysis of the legs. Tendon reflexes are usually reduced or absent, with no sensory disturbances. If the poisoning is mild, the patient may only feel fatigue, muscle fatigue similar to weakness in the body, unable to do normal strenuous movements,... But if the poisoning is severe, the disease progresses. Quickly, the patient can paralyze all muscles leading to sputum stagnation, respiratory failure, respiratory arrest leading to death.

4. What to do to prevent Botulinum toxin?

Due to the dangerous nature of botulinum toxin, you need to think about this type of poisoning if you have the following factors:
After eating suspect foods (for the time being, vegetarian pate or other foods) other canned products of unknown origin) have symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weakness, starting from the head and neck area and then gradually spreading downwards. If mild poisoning may only feel fatigue, bilateral symmetrical muscle weakness, sensation is still normal.
If you have the above symptoms, you need to go to a medical facility to be monitored for the progress of signs of muscle paralysis.
To prevent the risk of botulinum toxin contamination, it is necessary to choose foods of clear origin, with quality standards recognized by authorities. Be wary of sealed foods that have an unusual smell, color or taste. Prioritize eating freshly prepared and cooked foods. High heat will destroy botulinum toxin if the toxin is unfortunately present in the food. Besides, it is necessary to treat skin wounds well, if any, to avoid C. botulinum infection through these lesions. For infants, do not use honey to open the mouth or make baby food.
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Reference source: Ministry of Health