Health Advisory

Situation:
San Joaquin County is collaborating with neighboring counties and the California Department of Public Health in investigating a small cluster of hospitalized patients with foodborne botulism. These patients had illness onset during April 20 -26, 2017. There is a likely food source in Walnut Grove that is being investigated while still considering other potential sources.

Background:
Botulism is a serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. Besides the symptoms mentioned above, patients remain alert and responsive with no sensory deficits. Death may occur from respiratory failure, thus immediate medical attention is imperative. If diagnosed early, Botulism can be treated with an antitoxin made from horse serum which blocks the action of toxin circulating in the blood; available only through public health departments. This can prevent patients from worsening but cannot reverse the paralysis. Lab testing, only available through a public health lab, may demonstrate toxin in stool, gastric aspirate or vomitus, wound or serum of patient, or in a suspected food item. Other neurological disorders that may resemble botulism in non-infants include myasthenia gravis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Foodborne botulism can represent a major public health threat, because other people may be at risk of poisoning from eating the same contaminated food. Early identification, reporting, investigation, and response can prevent further disease.

Additional Information:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/index.html California Department of Public Health: https://archive.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Botulism.aspx PHS Communicable Disease Program at 468-3822.