Some foods are more likely than others to be contaminated with the bacteria responsible for botulism in humans, particularly canned foods. Faced with the detection of several cases in Bordeaux, it is essential to remain vigilant.
The Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after the discovery of 15 cases of botulism including one fatality and having struck people who had all eaten in the same bar in the metropolis of Nouvelle Aquitaine where King Charles III is expected very soon. The victims would have according to BFM TV consumed sardines in jars which the restaurateur himself would have checked for sterilization, a crucial step to avoid the proliferation of bacteria. This case is an opportunity for health authorities to recall the dangers of botulism and its origins, thus warning consumers and those who have gotten into the habit of making their own canned goods.
In addition to sardines, other types of food are more likely than others to transmit botulism, starting with those placed in jars, as would be the case for people who frequented the said Bordeaux bar in recent days. As recalled Doctissimo, “the toxin that the bacterium Clostridium botulinum generates after an incubation period of a few hours to a few days is found mainly in poorly preserved foods”. In other words, we regularly find them in poorly sterilized homemade jars or preserves.
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Honey can cause infant botulism
Our colleagues also report a study of theWorld Health Organization (WHO) according to which we have already found “slightly acidic preserved vegetables such as green beans, spinach, mushrooms and beets” containing the bacteria. While the Ministry of Agriculture firmly reminds us that these bacteria which can be found in the intestines of animals, in the earth or even plants, “only developin the absence of oxygen“this is why the vacuum sealed food and canned are the most frequently contaminated. They are not the only ones, there are three other types of food likely to be contaminated by this bacteria which causes botulism: Honeythere cold cuts and the dried/smoked fish. Explanations!
In the first case, we more readily speak of infant botulism because it only concerns children under one year of age who have been given honey, which pediatricians do not recommend. Spores of the bacteria ingested can germinate in the baby’s intestine, whose immune system is not yet strong enough to defend itself. In the second case, these products come from a transformation based on salting oroffala fertile ground for the development of Clostridium botulinum. Finally, dried or smoked fish also go through the salting stage before being vacuum-packed, which explains the precautions to be taken there too.
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Worried? The main ones symptoms of botulism are known and easily identifiable. This toxin particularly affects the the nervous systemhence the impaired vision which can result directly from it, a marked dryness of the mouth and of swallowing problemsor evenspeech. In some cases, botulism can lead to paralysisa respiratory failure and dizziness. In addition to abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, intense fatigue is often noted, also specifies the WHO.
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