A Comparison of Human and Animal Botulism: A Review

Abstract

Botulism can arise from preformed toxin, wound infection or intestinal toxico-infection. All three forms can occur in humans as well as in animals. The examination of botulism in veterinary practice can alert the medical profession to the hazards which can occur with the introduction of dietary alterations and hermetic sealing of foodstuffs. There is also the possibility that the development of pica through lack of essential nutrients could lead to the ingestion of contaminated substances rendering the child (or even adult) susceptible to botulinum intoxication. A positive gain has been that research leading to the elimination of shaker foal disease has provided a comprehensive analysis of factors which may underline the risk of toxico-infection in infants.

Management of Animal Botulism Outbreaks: From Clinical Suspicion to Practical Countermeasures to Prevent or Minimize Outbreaks

“…28,38 Differential diagnosis includes hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, carbohydrate overload, and toxicosis, including from mycotoxin, lead, nitrate, organophosphate, atropine or atropine-like alkaloid, tick paralysis, and paralytic rabies. 3,34,45 In horses, weakness, decreased eyelid tone, decreased or absent tongue tone, decreased tail and anal tone, sluggish pupillary light reflex, and occasional episodes of slow and uncoordinated padding support the diagnosis. Differential diagnosis includes toxic plant poisoning, organophosphate intoxication, equine viral encephalitis, central nervous system trauma, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, aberrant larval migration, and hyperammonemia.…”

“…38 A third form of animal botulism is caused by the germination and production of BoNTs by C. botulinum spores in infected wounds. 3,37,39 The last 2 forms are often referred to as toxicoinfectious form botulism.…”

“…For toxicoinfectious forms, the incubation period is usually longer, and an indicative period of 4 to 14 days has been reported in the literature. 3,22,40 Signs of the intoxication include reluctance of the animals to rise; the lying posture may be abnormal, and, on rising, the gait may be stilted and the hind limbs splayed and ataxic. Weakness then progresses to the forequarters, head, and neck.…”

“…Birds may also appear lateral or ventral recumbent and comatose or dead. 3,40,41 Recumbent birds intermittently stand and walk a few steps. Often they cannot stand up completely and even walk on their tarsometatarsi.…”

“…3,4 On a worldwide basis, avian botulism probably represents the most important disease of migratory birds. More than a million deaths have been reported in relatively localized outbreaks in a single year, and outbreaks with losses of 50,000 birds or more are relatively common.…”