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One of the products recalled
was Bolthouse
Farms
100% Carrot Juice.
Infectious disease expert
Dr. Neil Rau.
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated: Thu. Oct. 5 2006 10:47 PM ET
Updated: Thu. Oct. 5 2006 10:47 PM ET
The Toronto Public Health Department is investigating two possible cases of botulism in people who appear to have consumed carrot juice that was recalled back in September.
Both victims live in the same house. The investigation will determine whether the cases are caused by consuming contaminated carrot juice recently listed in a U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) health advisory. One of the recalled brands of carrot juice was reported to be in the house.
The following products in the CDC advisory were recalled off the shelves:
- Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice
- Earthbound Farm Organic Carrot Juice
- President's Choice Organics 100% Pure Carrot Juice
All three brands are sold in both one-litre and 450-millilitre sizes, with "best-by" or "best-if-used-by" dates of Nov. 11, 2006 or earlier.
If you have one of these products, do not attempt a taste test, warns infectious disease specialist Dr. Neil Rau.
"If you have one of these products that have been listed it should just be taken off the shelf and given back to the grocery store or thrown away," he said.
That's also true of any product at any time that tastes bad, or
comes in a can with a bulging lid, Rau said.
How is botulism diagnosed? You won't get a fever. Botulism symptoms include:
- marked fatigue
- weakness and dizziness
- blurred vision
- dry mouth
- difficulty in swallowing and speaking
- vomiting and diarrhea
Constipation or abdominal swelling may also occur.
In the end stage, weakness and paralysis descend from shoulders to the upper arms, then the lower arms, thighs and calves, and continue down.
"It's a very terrifying disease if you get it," said Rau.
Botulism spores exist naturally in the environment, and if the spores get on food and the food is not boiled, or if it's just heated enough to allow the toxin to be produced by the spores, then the toxins remain in the food when it's refrigerated.
Once those toxins are consumed, Rau said, it's absorbed by your gastrointestinal tract, where it gains access to nerve endings that can cause paralysis.
"Basically your nerves can't control your muscles and by causing paralysis you get weakness and can't breathe," he said. "And (you) go on a breathing machine for a few days while this thing works its way through your system."
Food is the most common cause of suspected cases of botulism. Botulism spores are present normally in the environment but it is the toxins they produced under certain conditions that, if consumed, cause the symptoms.
Botulism can be prevented by heating food well and promptly refrigerating it.
It is likely that the botulism was present in the food before it got to the consumer, said Rau, although that won't be confirmed until health officials at the CDC receive the results of the investigation.
It could be speculated that something went wrong in the quality control process at the manufacturer's level, or perhaps there was something wrong with the source carrots, Rau said.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061005/toronto_botulism_061005/20061005?hub=TopStories
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