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Symptoms of Botulism

The start of symptoms is abrupt and occurs from four hours to a week after eating the contaminated food. The mouth becomes dry and the vision blurred and doubled; the upper lids droop; there is sickness, vomiting and diarrhoea with cramping pain in the abdomen. The blood pressure drops, causing faintness, and the body may start to store urine. Soon swallowing becomes impossible and the muscles of the limbs become weak, almost paralysed.

The mind is unaffected and continues to function normally. The gravest danger is that the breathing should become paralysed. If this happens, death is certain unless breathing can be maintained artificially.

The sequence of events occurs within a matter of hours or a few days. Usually, the shorter the period between consumption of the bacterium and the start of symptoms, the larger the dose of toxin.

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