How is botulism toxin transmitted?

Botulinum toxin is a highly pathogenic bacterium. When people accidentally eat food containing botulinum toxin, they often develop toxic diseases. If rescue is not timely, it may even pose a great threat to the patient's life safety. The main transmission route of botulinum toxin is through spoiled food, which is more common in some meat products, such as pork, bacon, pickled meat or some spoiled canned meat, etc.

1. Sources of infection: Livestock, poultry and fish are the sources of infection.

The spores of this fungus are widely distributed in nature. The bacteria are excreted from the intestines of animals (mainly herbivores), contaminating the soil and shore sand, thereby contaminating canned food. If the heating is insufficient, the spores produced will not be destroyed, and the oxygen-deficient environment will cause the botulinum toxin to multiply in large numbers and produce a large amount of exotoxin.

2. Mainly transmitted through food

It is more common in pickled meat, bacon, pork and poorly made canned food. In some areas, the disease has been caused by eating fermented black beans, bean paste, stinky tofu, rice soup and stale fish, pork and liver. The reproduction of botulinum bacteria does not necessarily require strict anaerobic conditions and appropriate temperature. Type E bacteria can reproduce and produce toxins at a low temperature of 6°C. Type A and Type B bacteria can produce proteolytic enzymes, causing food to spoil. However, type E bacteria do not produce this enzyme, so food will not spoil and it is easy to cause illness due to negligence.

In a war environment, the enemy can use botulinum toxin to spread through aerosols, widely contaminating drinking water, food and utensils. If not handled in time, it can cause collective poisoning.

(III) Susceptibility

It is generally susceptible and does not cause human-to-human transmission. Strictly manage and inspect food, paying special attention to the production and storage of canned food, ham, and cured food. If there are bulges at both ends of a canned food, or if the color, aroma or taste of the contents have changed, it should not be sold or eaten, even if boiled. Cereals and beans may also be contaminated with botulism, so fermented or rotten foods should be avoided.