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Infant Botulism due to Consumption of Contaminated Commercially Prepared Honey

2006; Karger Publishers; Volume: 15; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1159/000095494

1423-0151

Maria M.J. van der Vorst, Wafaa Jamal, Vincent O. Rotimi, Alie Moosa,

Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders

<i>Objective:</i> To report the first case of infant botulism in Arabian Gulf States. <i>Clinical Presentation and Intervention:</i> A 6-week-old infant, presenting with signs of sepsis, was intubated and ventilated due to progressive weakness. Infant botulism was suspected with acute flaccid paralysis and a history of honey consumption. An electromyogram showed decreased amplitude of compound muscle action potential in all motor nerves, preserved sensory responses; the motor terminal latencies and motor conduction velocities were normal. Blood, stool and honey samples were sent for culture. Stool and honey cultures showed two identical strains of <i>Clostridium botulinum.</i><i>Conclusion:</i> This case shows that the infant botulism occurred from the ingested contaminated honey. Hence vigilance should be maintained when a baby is fed honey and shows signs of progressive weakness because the disease can quickly progress to respiratory failure.