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The toxins that clostridium botulinum produces are, according to science, one of the most powerful toxins that are naturally occurring.
They are known to attack our bodies central nervous system and in turn cause paralysis.
If the condition is left untreated the paralysis can cause severe breathing problems and even death due to it commonly spreading to the lungs.
There are three direct ways that a human can contract botulism.
Food that has been contaminated with the bacteria as a result of food being packaged incorrectly is the most common cause.
Luckily botulism is a very rare condition and there have only been around 30 accounts of food-borne botulism within the UK during the last 25 years.
Around 80 percent of that number were also linked to the same outbreak of the condition.
Although the disease is thought of as a rarity, since 2002 there has been a sharp increase in the number of patients that have contracted wound botulism, which has subsequently resulted in two deaths.
Wound botulism takes place when open sores or wounds become infected.
Use of intravenous drugs such as heroin and cocaine have also been known to cause the condition.
The influx of botulism related cases has been reported to be a direct response to the rising problem with drugs in the UK.
If treatment is sought out promptly the outlook for patients is often good.
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