There are three main kinds of botulism, distinguished by the manner in which they are contracted:
A fourth type of botulism is bioterror botulism.
Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with
Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. A number of infant botulism cases have been associated with eating honey contaminated with
C. botulinim spores
(see Botulism in Honey).
All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodborne botulism can be especially dangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating contaminated food.
Incubation Period for Botulism
The time between a person becoming infected with botulism bacteria and the beginning of botulism symptoms is called the "botulism incubation period." The botulism incubation period varies based on the type. For foodborne botulism, the incubation period is between 18 to 36 hours, but can occur as early as 6 hours or as late as 10 days.
The incubation period for infant botulism is between 3 and 30 days, while the incubation period for wound botulism is around 10 days.
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