Treyfish
Moderator
BOTULISM, HUMAN, HOME CANNED GREEN BEANS - USA: (OHIO)
Date: Wed 17 Sep 2008
Source: Mansfield (OH) News Journal [edited]
<http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080917/UPDATES01/80917023>
A man and his grandson remain in the hospital after coming down with
food-borne botulism last weekend [13-14 Sep 2008]. The man is listed
in critical condition at MedCentral/Mansfield Hospital and his
grandson is in serious condition at Akron Children's Hospital after
eating home-canned green beans. 2 grandaughters also were treated for
botulism and have been released from Akron Children's.
Stephanie Zmuda, Environmental Health Director at the Galion City
Health Department, said after 10 years in the field, this is the
first time she's dealt with such cases of contamination. "Botulism is
a type of food poisoning and is the most dangerous," she said. "6
organisms is the infectious dose, so just a little bit of this germ
can get you sick. You do not have to have a whole serving of the food
to get sick." [See Moderator's Comments - Mod.LL]
Zmuda said home-canning is by far the most common way to get
botulism, which can block nerve function and lead to musculoskeletal
and respiratory paralysis, which can be fatal. Even after being
treated with an antitoxin, which comes from the CDC in Atlanta, GA,
those with severe botulism often require a breathing machine and
intensive medical care for weeks. Botulism survivors may feel
fatigued and short of breath for years to come.
"The processing is what is generally not done correctly," Zmuda said
of food that is preserved at home. "There is a heat step at the end
of canning that is often forgotten." Zmuda said although the toxins
in the food can be destroyed through heating, the spores are
heat-stable, that is, cooking it will not kill the spores." [See
Moderator's Comments - Mod.LL]
Liz Smith of the Ohio State University Wyandot County Extension said
there are 2 different ways to can: By pressure cooker and boiling
water method. "It can be a very complicated process," Smith said. "If
you don't have the proper temperature or amount of time, the can will
not seal correctly. If you use the boiling method, and don't boil the
proper length of time, again, it will not seal correctly." Smith
added that people who can at home need to make sure the gauge on
their old pressure cookers is properly adjusted and in good working order.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED Rapporteur Susan Baekeland
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Most USA botulism postings relate to the alert that a particular
commercially prepared food was not adequately made which would
increase a risk of intoxication with _C. botulinum toxin_. In most of
these, no clear evidence of botulism is found in the food product.
When botulism does occur related to food, it is most likely to be
home-prepared as here. It should be noted that in typical food-borne
botulism, the toxin is preformed in the food when ingested rather
than disease being produced with ingestion of spores or bacilli as
implied in the posting. Infant botulism (and its very rare adult
equivalent, adult intestinal toxemia botulism) are caused by
ingestion of spores which germinate and toxin is formed _in situ_.
Additionally, it is also not true that the canning process is
ineffective in killing the spores. The toxin can be destroyed by
heating contaminated food to 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) for at
least 5 minutes. Spores are inactivated by heating to 121 degrees C
(250 degrees F) under 15-20 lb/square inch pressure for at least 20
minutes (1).
1. Sobel J: Botulism. In, Beyond Anthrax: The Weaponization of
Infectious Diseases, Lutwick LI, Lutwick SM, eds, Springer Press, New
York, 2008, pg 92, in press. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
Botulism, native foods - USA: (AK) 2007 20080811.2472
:tiphat:
http://tinyurl.com/3vvk2q
Date: Wed 17 Sep 2008
Source: Mansfield (OH) News Journal [edited]
<http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080917/UPDATES01/80917023>
A man and his grandson remain in the hospital after coming down with
food-borne botulism last weekend [13-14 Sep 2008]. The man is listed
in critical condition at MedCentral/Mansfield Hospital and his
grandson is in serious condition at Akron Children's Hospital after
eating home-canned green beans. 2 grandaughters also were treated for
botulism and have been released from Akron Children's.
Stephanie Zmuda, Environmental Health Director at the Galion City
Health Department, said after 10 years in the field, this is the
first time she's dealt with such cases of contamination. "Botulism is
a type of food poisoning and is the most dangerous," she said. "6
organisms is the infectious dose, so just a little bit of this germ
can get you sick. You do not have to have a whole serving of the food
to get sick." [See Moderator's Comments - Mod.LL]
Zmuda said home-canning is by far the most common way to get
botulism, which can block nerve function and lead to musculoskeletal
and respiratory paralysis, which can be fatal. Even after being
treated with an antitoxin, which comes from the CDC in Atlanta, GA,
those with severe botulism often require a breathing machine and
intensive medical care for weeks. Botulism survivors may feel
fatigued and short of breath for years to come.
"The processing is what is generally not done correctly," Zmuda said
of food that is preserved at home. "There is a heat step at the end
of canning that is often forgotten." Zmuda said although the toxins
in the food can be destroyed through heating, the spores are
heat-stable, that is, cooking it will not kill the spores." [See
Moderator's Comments - Mod.LL]
Liz Smith of the Ohio State University Wyandot County Extension said
there are 2 different ways to can: By pressure cooker and boiling
water method. "It can be a very complicated process," Smith said. "If
you don't have the proper temperature or amount of time, the can will
not seal correctly. If you use the boiling method, and don't boil the
proper length of time, again, it will not seal correctly." Smith
added that people who can at home need to make sure the gauge on
their old pressure cookers is properly adjusted and in good working order.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED Rapporteur Susan Baekeland
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Most USA botulism postings relate to the alert that a particular
commercially prepared food was not adequately made which would
increase a risk of intoxication with _C. botulinum toxin_. In most of
these, no clear evidence of botulism is found in the food product.
When botulism does occur related to food, it is most likely to be
home-prepared as here. It should be noted that in typical food-borne
botulism, the toxin is preformed in the food when ingested rather
than disease being produced with ingestion of spores or bacilli as
implied in the posting. Infant botulism (and its very rare adult
equivalent, adult intestinal toxemia botulism) are caused by
ingestion of spores which germinate and toxin is formed _in situ_.
Additionally, it is also not true that the canning process is
ineffective in killing the spores. The toxin can be destroyed by
heating contaminated food to 85 degrees C (185 degrees F) for at
least 5 minutes. Spores are inactivated by heating to 121 degrees C
(250 degrees F) under 15-20 lb/square inch pressure for at least 20
minutes (1).
1. Sobel J: Botulism. In, Beyond Anthrax: The Weaponization of
Infectious Diseases, Lutwick LI, Lutwick SM, eds, Springer Press, New
York, 2008, pg 92, in press. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
Botulism, native foods - USA: (AK) 2007 20080811.2472
:tiphat:
http://tinyurl.com/3vvk2q