1, what is botulism
(1) Clostridium botulinum, a gram-positive anaerobic bacillus, is widely distributed in nature and is the main source of food contamination.
(2) In an anaerobic environment, the bacterium can secrete a strong botulinum toxin, most of which first manifested as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive symptoms, and then turn to blurred vision, difficulty swallowing and other neurological symptoms, and in severe cases, limb paralysis, respiratory distress, and a very high mortality rate.
(3) Clostridium botulinum exists only in an anaerobic environment and in low-acid foods. Low-acid foods include meat, beans, eggs, etc. The anaerobic environment is mainly packaged foods without air such as canned and vacuum-packed foods. In addition, the center of sausages and the bottom of pickled foods are also airless. Therefore, in life, Clostridium botulinum can be found in the most common kinds of canned goods, such as canned meat sauce, canned fish, canned peanuts, and so on. Secondly, Clostridium botulinum is also found in sausages, such as homemade sausages, sausages and hams labeled as nitrite-free, and vacuum-packed foods, such as vacuum-packed vegetarian meat, dried beans, vegetarian tripe, and vegetarian ham. In addition, homemade cured meat, homemade pickles and other pickled foods are also more common.
(4) Therefore, canned food, such as expanding the can situation, must not eat; open the can if you find that there is a strange smell, do not force to eat. The company's main goal is to provide the best quality products and services to the public, and to provide the best quality products and services to the public. Once symptoms similar to botulism occur, you should bring the suspected food to the hospital immediately to avoid delaying the best time for treatment.
2, the harmful effects of botulism
(1) muscle can not be contracted all over the body, the phenomenon of local paralysis
Botulism spores will be activated into the Clostridium botulinum, secreted "botulinum neurotoxin," which inhibits the release of acetylcholine, affecting neuronal conduction, and can be used to treat the symptoms of botulism. This can inhibit the release of acetylcholine, affecting neurogenic conduction, muscle contraction, resulting in general or local paralysis, the main infectious pathway: common botulism from food, because the toxin will be present in the canned food without full sterilization, home pickled vegetables, meat, seafood, etc., eaten down to the stomach may be infected.
(2) infant intestinal unable to clear spores into toxins
There is also traumatic botulism, caused by the wound is injured deep in the soil, sand _ botulism contamination, and then proliferate and release toxins, another infection occurs in the intestinal flora is not enough to sound infants and young children, when infants and young children less than 1 year old ate food containing botulinum spores, the spores can not be cleared, and the toxins can not be removed. The intestines are unable to clear the spores, and the spores are converted in the intestines _ to Clostridium botulinum and release the toxin.
(3) Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, respiratory failure
In infants, the toxin in botulism will first appear constipation, then difficult to feed, generalized floppiness, low muscle tone, adult botulism often first appear blurred vision, then the patient's eyelids drooped, swallowing difficulty, difficulty speaking, generalized weakness, loss of head control, and, if infected by food, there will be Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms, the severity of poisoning varies greatly, and severe respiratory failure, sudden death.
(4) muscle relaxation leading to respiratory failure intubation
If diagnosed with botulism, the patient needs to be hospitalized to understand the degree of nerve blockage, and if necessary, botulism antitoxin can be used as early as possible to prevent the condition from deteriorating, but it is not applicable to patients younger than 1 year old. If respiratory failure occurs due to muscle relaxation during hospitalization, the patient has to be intubated to supplement respiratory therapy to maintain vital signs. If respiratory failure occurs due to muscle weakness during hospitalization, intubation and ventilator therapy are required to maintain vital signs. Although the use of antitoxin can reduce the severity of the disease, it can take more than a few months for peripheral nerves to return to normal, and there is a high mortality rate if treatment is not given in a timely manner after poisoning.
3, how to prevent botulism
Chinese medicine dietary experts especially remind us, only to grasp the "table safety", in order to effectively control botulism infection. Life, we buy canned, vacuum-packed food, we should choose a reputable business, and according to the product labeling properly stored, do not buy from unknown and incomplete identification of the food. Canned food, such as the case of puffed cans, must not be eaten; open the cans, such as the discovery of a strange odor, do not force to eat, to ensure safety. Purchase of vacuum-packed food products should pay attention to the product packaging on whether or not to indicate that has been high temperature and high pressure sterilization, such as the phenomenon of swelling bags, do not. Secondly, do not pickle your own food, if you want to make your own, before eating, you should re-heat the food for more than 3 minutes and should be fully heated and stirred. 1 year old infants should avoid feeding honey, because the infant's immune system and intestinal flora has not yet developed sound, Clostridium botulinum spores are very likely to grow in the intestinal tract, producing toxins and causing poisoning. In addition, the most important thing is to have the concept of preventing diseases from entering through the mouth, washing hands frequently and paying attention to dietary hygiene. Try not to eat raw food, especially seafood.