Springs baby one of youngest to contract botulism

A 3-day-old baby from El Paso County fell ill with a rare strain of infant botulism last month.

The boy has since recovered and was discharged from the hospital, and botulism generally has no lasting effects. Only one child, a 2-day-old, is known to have suffered botulism at an earlier age.

The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment did not release the child’s name or the hospital where he was treated because of confidentiality laws. The family did not respond to an interview request forwarded to them by the health department.

There are three main kinds of botulism: food-borne, wound and infant. In each case, commonly occurring bacteria build up to become a neurotoxin that can cause paralysis, muscle weakness and other serious symptoms. The food-borne version occurs when the bacteria-containing spores become concentrated in a food product that gets ingested. As the name implies, the wound-form occurs when the toxin develops in dirty cuts or other injuries.

Infant botulism, the most common kind — representing about two-thirds of all cases — occurs when the bacterial spores are inhaled and, for unknown reasons, trigger the neurotoxin in the intestines of some babies.

Botulism is a reportable condition, but infant botulism is not a public health threat.

The El Paso County child had a rare strain known as Type F, one of just 10 such cases worldwide. The strain is insignificant to patients, who experience the same symptoms and outcomes regardless of the type, said Dr. Bernadette Albanese, medical director for the health department. Type F appears to be associated with younger infants than other strains, she said.

In 2005, the most recent year for which national statistics are available, there were 145

cases of botulism nationally, 96 in infants. Colorado had only one case that year.

This year, there have been two cases in Colorado, both infants. The other was in Douglas County.

Food-borne botulism usually occurs in contaminated canned goods and can lead to a public health response such as a recall last month of a Michigan company’s canned green beans and garbanzo beans. Infants are at risk of food-borne botulism? in honey.

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