NMDOH reports case of wound botulism

Illness is potentially fatal, but rare and not contagious

A 30-year-old Bernalilo County man has been hospitalized with a suspected case of wound botulism, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.

Botulism is potentially fatal, but generally rare. It is not contagious and is not transmitted by human-to-human contact, according to Dr. Daniel Sosin, a medical epidemiologist with the state DOH.

It is caused when a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum finds its way into a wound.

People who inject drugs have a greater chance of getting wound botulism, as do people after a traumatic injury.

According to Sosin, the hospitalized man reported injection drug use. An anti-toxin to prevent progression of the illness, was shipped to New Mexico from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Previous cases of wound botulism in the state have been linked primarily to the injection of black tar heroin and methamphetamine, according to the DOH.

Clostridium botulinum is a spore that is fairly common in soil, Sosin said. “As a spore, it is resistant to drying out and dying, but when it germinates, which is where there is some moisture and the absence of oxygen, it can grow and produce toxins.”

When those toxins get into someone’s bloodstream, it produces wound botulism.

More common foodborne botulism occurs where the spores germinate in the anaerobic environment of food that has been improperly canned, preserved or fermented, according to the CDC; while iatrogenic botulism can occur when too much botulinum toxin is injected for cosmetic reasons, such as to smooth out skin wrinkles, or for medical purposes, such as treating migraine headaches.

Symptoms of botulism toxicity include: double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

Anyone showing symptoms of botulism should report it to the New Mexico DOH at 505-827-0006.