Botulism

Statutory notification

• Botulism is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the public health units (Healthy WA) within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 208KB).
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: toxin of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Other Clostridium species such as C.butyricum, C.baratii and C. argentinense may also produce botulinum toxin.
• Transmission: food-borne (ingestion of pre-formed toxin or spores) or environmental (wound contamination with spores).
• Incubation period: Dependent on form of botulism. Foodborne botulism (from ingestion of preformed toxin) usually 12-72 hr (range 2 hr -8 days). Intestinal botulism (from ingestion of spores) up to 30 days in infants, unknown in adults. Wound botulism 4-14 days.
• Infectious period: Person-to-person transmission does not occur.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Supportive therapy, including a ventilator for breathing difficulties and intravenous fluids if the person can’t swallow. Clostridium botulinum anti-toxin should be given as early as possible to lessen the severity of symptoms.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: is conducted by the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Guidelines

• OD 0490/14 Public Health Follow-up of Sporadic Enteric Disease Notifications
• Guidelines for Exclusion of People with Enteric Diseases and their Contacts 
• Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports