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Minsk, June 19 / Corr. BELTA /. The press service of the Ministry of Health tells BELTA why botulism poisoning is dangerous and how to protect yourself from the disease.
Botulism is a serious illness caused by the toxin of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that affects the central nervous system. “It is important to know that if you do not seek medical help promptly, it can result in death,” the department noted.
In Belarus, cases of botulism linked to the consumption of homemade products are recorded every year, the number of victims varies from 16 to 24. “Analysis of the data on the incidence of botulism showed that the main factors of transmission are home-cooked foods: fish and fish products (37.5% of cases), canned vegetables and meat (31.25%), canned mushrooms (18.75%). For example, a resident of an agricultural town developed botulism after eating homemade canned mushrooms, a resident of the capital bought zucchini caviar from an unknown person, botulism was associated with gutted dried fish,” the Ministry of Health said.
The pathogen of botulism can survive only in the absence of oxygen. Neurotoxins released by the pathogen are harmful to human health. That is why people often get botulism after eating sealed canned goods, homemade pickles and smoked foods, because air does not penetrate the product, creating favorable conditions for the preservation of the disease pathogen. At the same time, the appearance, taste, smell of the product do not change. Only swelling of the can is sometimes, but not always, observed.
To prevent the disease, experts recommend avoiding random purchases of home-canned products in sealed cans, home-cured and smoked products: large hams, fish (fish living at the bottom of the water are particularly dangerous), signs of spoilage and corruption, and also violations of generally accepted cooking techniques: do not reduce the amount of salt, vinegar, reduce the time of heat treatment, do not eat canned food from bulging cans.
It is important to remember that vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms must be washed thoroughly to remove soil particles. Homemade canned foods should be stored only in a cool place. Before eating canned foods, it is best to boil them for 20-25 minutes (during this time, the botulinum toxin breaks down). And you should not eat canned foods and products of questionable quality.
The incubation period of the disease is usually 6-30 hours, sometimes 2 hours to 2 weeks. The disease begins acutely with nonspecific symptoms: malaise, general weakness, headache. Burning sensation in the stomach, nausea, repeated vomiting and diarrhea may occur. A few hours after the onset of the disease, nonspecific symptoms are replaced by specific neurological symptoms: visual impairment, paralysis of the soft palate, tongue, pharynx, larynx, speech disorders, impaired swallowing movements.
When the first symptoms of the disease appear, you must urgently contact a medical institution, because there is only one way to treat botulism poisoning – the administration of antibotulinum serum. The press department emphasizes that the earlier it is introduced, the more optimistic the prognosis for the course of the disease.
If you have consumed canned food, be sure to tell your doctor. Do not throw away cans that contain leftover canned food, leftover fish, or meat. They can help diagnose illnesses and be sent to a lab for testing, which can help quickly identify the source, make the correct diagnosis, and start the right treatment -0-.
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