Incidence of Botulism in the Czech Republic in 1990-1998

Overview

The submitted investigation is a continuation of the retrospective study of 76 cases of botulismnotified in 1961-1989 and analyses 20 new cases for 1990 up to the present was recorded in 94subjects and infantile botulism in two children (1979, 1989). No case of early botulism wasreported. Four adults died, all of them after 1989. The majority are adult men. The greatestnumber of cases was recorded in the South Moravian and Central Bohemian region, in recentyears also in the North Bohemian region. As a vehicle of infections dominate home made meattins, commercially tinned meat being no exception, occasionally also tinned fruit (tinnedstrawberries in 1998).

Key words:
botulism - botulotoxin - vehicle of infection.