BISMARCK – The North Dakota Department of Health on Friday, January 22, announced that a child was recently diagnosed with botulism.
The rare disease affects children under 1 year of age and its symptoms, such as decreased movement, progressive weakness and constipation, among others, usually develop between three and 30 days after consuming the bacteria’s spores.
The bacteria creates a toxin in the intestine that leads to disease. The toxin causes muscle paralysis and, if left untreated, botulism can cause respiratory failure and death.
The North Dakota baby is recovering at home after receiving treatment and hospitalization, according to the health department. The last report of infant botulism in North Dakota was in 2018, the department said.
The bacterial spores that cause infant botulism can be found in soil and dust and, in some cases, in honey. The North Dakota baby had a history of eating honey before he developed the disease, but it is not known if honey was the cause, said epidemiologist Laura Cronquist.
“Although most children with botulism probably ingested dust or dirt particles that contained spores, honey can contain botulism spores and is not safe to feed children under 12 months of age,” said Cronquist in a statement.
The health department recommends seeing a doctor immediately if a child has any symptoms of infant botulism.