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Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused
by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused
by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is
caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum.
Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum
bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. All
forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies.
Foodborne botulism can be especially dangerous because many people
can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food. |
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Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), also termed "Mad Cow Disease", is one of a number
of slowly progressive, degenerative neurologic diseases in animals
and man classified as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE). |
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Campylobacteriosis is an infectious
disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most people
who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal
pain, and fever within 2 to 5 days after exposure to the organism.
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E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the
bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless and
live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, this strain
produces a powerful toxin and can cause severe illness. |
