A Foodborne botulism Occurrence in Mashhad: Clostridium botulinum in local cheese

Objective: Clostridium botulinum is one of the most common life-threatening agents all around the world which produces botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). It may lead to morbidities such as paralysis and mortality after consuming canned tuna fish, local dairy products and home-preserved or commercial food. People use a good deal of local dairy products such as cheese and it exposes a variety of population to botulinum intoxication. Case Presentation: A 48-year-old woman referred to the ED complaining about acute dysphonia accompanied with symmetric hypotonia and bilateral ptosis. She had a history of consuming local dairy cheese. Conclusion: It is indispensable for the physician to identify major features of foodborne botulism in order to differentiate it from other illnesses and early initiation of intensive care for intoxicated patients. To prevent the incidence of dairy product derived botulinum, it is firmly suggested to have quality control on local dairy products.