Botulism is a paralyzing and potentially fatal illness caused by one of the most poisonous toxins known. The toxin is produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum and manifests in three main forms: infant botulism, foodborne botulism, and wound botulism. Foodborne and wound botulism cause weakness, dizziness, blurred or double vision, slurred speech, nausea, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. Symptoms usually appear 12 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the system but may appear as early as 2 hours or as late as 8 days. While rare--only 34 cases were reported nationwide in 1994--foodborne and wound botulism require emergency medical attention and usually necessitates hospitalization to prevent respiratory failure. In the early stages, injection of an antitoxin produced from horse serum can reduce the severity of the symptoms; however, allergic reaction to the antitoxin can pose a serious risk in itself.

C. botulinum bacteria are harmless, and their spores are found on...