
By Martha Bonnie, Emergency Medical Services, September 2007
Foodborne illnesses in the United States are quite common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne microorganisms cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5,000 deaths each year...
Common culprits have been tracked and researched by the American Medical Association, as well as governmental agencies…
Botulism
Botulism, a bacterial infection, can be fatal for infants and adults. Botulism is sometimes associated with infants who have consumed honey, which can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum even after processing; however, according to recent research, only 15% of infant botulism cases can be attributed to honey. The remaining 85% have unknown causes. Botulism spores are widespread but are not seen in fresh foods. Most botulism comes from home-canned foods produced in an anaerobic environment (without oxygen), where the contaminated spores can reproduce…