Botulism confirmed

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 3

Botulism confirmed

PA Rotorua Botulism was confirmed yesterday as the cause of the illness affecting two sissters on the critical list in Rotorua Hospital. The medical superintendent at the hospital, Dr K. F. Greene, said at 10.15 a.m. yesterday, “It is botulism.” The two sisters, admitted to hospital a week ago, are in the intensive-care unit on life support systems, after muscular paralysis. Dr Greene said the botulism anti-toxin was being sent to Rotorua. It is believed to be the first outbreak of botulism recorded in New Zealand, although several years ago a botulism scare centred on cans of salmon, thought to have caused the disease overseas. Blood samples and samples-of bottled mussels and water cress, eaten by the two women and believed to have been the cause of their illness, were sent to the National Health Institute in Wellington on Saturday for analaysis. The institute’s director, Mr R. K. Logan, said yesterdayHhat a mouse injected witijFthe organism found in

the women’s blood and in the food samples had died. Another mouse, injected with the botulism anti-toxin, had survived. “This strongly suggests that the women have botulism,” said Mr Logan. Confirmation of the finding was to have been made later yesterday. Although no other cases of botulism had occured in New Zealand, the anti-toxin is always available from the Health Department in Wellington. Dr Greene said that after the anti-toxin had arrived, decisions would be made on how much of it to give the women.

“It will be given by injection, but because we have never had a case of botulism before, we are unsure of the rate of recovery which can be expected, or whether the patients will recover completely.” The Medical Officer of Health at Rotorua, Dr A. Millar, said the mussels were collected from the beach at Maketu on Waitangi Day, and bottled, along with water cress collected from the Pfllrenga Stream in Rotorua tte next

day. Dr Miller said the food could have been contaminated before it was bottled. The organism which causes botulism is widespread. In an ideal environment, such as in the home bottling of food, it could convert to poison. Botulism is caused by a poison produced by a specific organism — Clostridium botulinum — and affects the nervous system. Symptoms include paralysis, dizziness, and blurred vision.