Honey and Botulism

Botulism is a rare condition but very serious if it occurs and can lead to severe paralytic illness, which is primarily caused by the botulinum toxin that is produced by a certain type of bacteria called clostridium botulinum when the conditions are anaerobic. This toxin can enter the body through food, when a wound is infected by the bacteria and through colonization of the digestive system by bacteria in children and in adults too. No matter what the form, they eventually bring on paralysis and typical symptoms in the beginning start from the face muscles and then spread to the limbs. In some other cases, it may even lead to failure of the respiratory tract or muscles necessary for breathing get paralyzed. Infant botulism is very common in the United States and children in the very first year of their life are at a greater risk of getting the same where more than 90 percent of cases have children below six months of age affected by it. However, it has no long term effects and the chances of it proving fatal are less than one percent. Symptoms of infant botulism include constipation, a lot of weakness, lethargy and so on. It is one of the most dangerous and powerful toxins because of which it is very harmful to humans.

Though honey has been used worldwide because it possesses a number of health benefits and is used extensively to treat a wide range of illnesses and disorders, botulism in honey makes it a very bad option for children. Honey and botulism are not said to go hand in hand as the botulinum spores are found in honey apart from dust and soil that are responsible for infant botulism. It is for this very reason that many recommend not to feed your children with honey especially if your child is below one year of age. There are a number of cases of honey and infant botulism and when children take in these spores, they can germinate in their gastrointestinal tract that has still not matured and begin to produce the botulinum toxin. The good part is that most of the times, the amount of this toxin is so minute that it stays mild. You can prevent botulism by cooking the food at 121 degrees Celsius for about three minutes because it helps to kill the spores. Similarly, you can create conditions that will prevent further growth of these spores.