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Subject:
From:
Rachel Myr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:06:29 -0500
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Botulism is poisoning from the toxin produced under anaerobic, non-acidic
conditions by the C.botulinum bacterium. 
The bacterium can not tolerate an acid environment, so eating food
contaminated with the live bacterium is not a problem for adults or older
children whose gastric juices are strongly acidic.  But the spores of the
bacterium can withstand very high temperatures, and in the right conditions
they can 'wake up' and start producing the poision.  In a non-acidic
environment, C.botulinum produces an exotoxin which is very dangerous to
humans of any age.  The toxin is heat-labile, so as long as preserved foods
are heated through thoroughly before eating, the food is not dangerous.  I
can't remember the minimum time or temperature offhand.  

Botulism outbreaks have often been from canned foods that are consumed
without heating, like vichyssoise served cold.  Not all baby food is heated
before consumption.  If the food contained C.botulinum spores before
preservation, these could produce toxin that could cause serious harm or
even death to whoever ate it.

Milk-fed babies don't have such an acid gut that it will kill live
C.botulinum either, so if they ingest food, like honey, which may contain
spores, the bacterium can proliferate like any other anaerobe in the child's
gut and produce the toxins that then can have the same devastating effects. 

Clostridium bugs are not nice.  Tetanus is caused by another one of them.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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