Published Date: 2009-03-10 14:01:01
Subject: PRO/EDR> Botulism, home canned green beans - USA: (WA)
Archive Number: 20090310.0990

BOTULISM, HOME CANNED GREEN BEANS - USA: (WASHINGTON))
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Date: Sat 28 Feb 2009
Source: Seattle (WA) Post-Intelligencer, The Spokesman-Review,
Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_botulism_warning.html>


Health officials and food preservation experts are warning home
canners to follow strict safety rules after a Spokane woman and 2
young children were sickened by botulism from improperly canned green
beans from a home garden.

The Spokesman-Review reports the victims were a nurse in her 30s and
2 children younger than 10. She remains on a ventilator and is
recovering slowly. The children suffered milder symptoms. The 3 were
given an antitoxin that was flown to Spokane from a special storage
facility in Seattle.

Epidemiologist Dorothy MacEachern with the Spokane Regional Health
District is concerned that people have been responding to difficult
economic times by canning more of their food perhaps improperly. Food
safety experts say special precautions must be taken when canning
low-acid foods such as green beans and asparagus.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Most USA botulism postings relate to the alert that a particular
commercially prepared food was not adequately made which would
increase a risk of intoxication with _C. botulinum toxin_. In most of
these, no clear evidence of botulism is found in the food product.

When botulism does occur related to food, it is most likely to be
home-prepared as here. It should be noted that in typical food-borne
botulism, the toxin is preformed in the food when ingested rather
than disease being produced with ingestion of spores or bacilli as
implied in the posting. Infant botulism (and its very rare adult
equivalent, adult intestinal toxemia botulism) are caused by
ingestion of spores, which germinate, and toxin is formed _in situ_.

Spokane is a city located in the northwestern United States in the
state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of
Spokane County and is located on the Spokane River in Eastern
Washington. Its location can be seen on the maps at
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spokane,_Washington> and the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/r/005->. - Mod.LL]

See Also

2008
----
Botulism, human, home canned green beans - USA: (OH) 20080919.2947
Botulism, native foods - USA: (AK) 2007 20080811.2472
2007
----
Botulism, human - USA (02): (VA) 20071121.3773
Botulism, human - USA: (VA), RFI 20071114.3700
Botulism risk, canned green beans - N. America: recall 20070802.2494
Botulism, canned food, human, pet - N. America (06) 20070807.2566
Botulism, canned food, human, pet - USA (03) 20070729.2433
Botulism, canned food, human, pet - N. America 20070725.2385
Botulism, canned food, human, pet - USA (02) 20070724.2377
Botulism, canned food, human, pet - USA: alert, recall 20070723.2366
Botulism, chili sauce - USA: alert, recall (02) 20070720.2331
Botulism, chili sauce - USA: alert, recall 20070719.2316
...................................ll/mj/mpp

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