Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Illness can occur through eating food contaminated with the toxin, infection of an open wound, or particularly in babies, ingestion of spores that form toxins in the intestine. The treatment for botulism is an anti-toxin medication that neutralizes the toxin.
Local Information
2025 Statistics
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases:
0*
*Includes confirmed cases in 2025.
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2025: 0
Incidence rate per 100,000 of Botulism by year
Data Sources |
|
More Information about Botulism |
||||||||||
Reporting |
||||||||||
|
Report to the Health Unit immediately by fax (705-482-0670) and phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if botulism is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7. After hours, weekends, and holidays, call 705-474-1400 then press 0 to speak with the Answering Service. The on-call CDC Public Health Nurse will get back to you as soon as possible. |
||||||||||
Should one go to childcare, school, or work if they have botulism? |
||||||||||
| No exclusion necessary as people exposed to botulism are not contagious. | ||||||||||
Healthcare Provider Information |
||||||||||
|
There are four main forms of botulism: foodborne, infant, adult intestinal colonization and wound. All forms produce the same neurological signs and symptoms of symmetrical cranial nerve palsies followed by descending, symmetric flaccid paralysis of voluntary muscles, which may progress to respiratory compromise and death. Additional symptoms (e.g., gastrointestinal signs in foodborne cases) may also be seen in some forms. Refer to the Botulism Guide for Health Care Professionals (Ministry of Health, 2023) for guidance when botulism is suspected.
|
Contact our Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229, or by email to cdc@healthunit.ca for more information.
Last updated: Mar 2026, by CDC