Two Outbreaks of Botulism in Aborigines Associated with Home-Preserved Meats - Nantou and Ilan Counties

1987 Vol.3 NO.4

Correspondence Author：

Abstract：

On January 11, the Department of Health was notified by a physician at Chang Hwa Christian Hospital about a 27 year-old aborigine male from Nantou County hospitalized with symptoms of acute botulism intoxication. The patient became ill on January 4 with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Within two days, he developed ptosis, diplopia, blurred vision, dysphonia, dysphagia, and dysarthria. He, and 10 other family members and neighbors, ate home-preserved deer meat on January 2. Three of 11 persons who ate deer meat developed symptoms of botulism intoxication; all persons had at least one piece of meat; and there was no association between illness and the quantity of meat eaten. A serum specimen from the hospitalized patient collected 10 days after exposure was positive for type B botulinal toxin. The hospitalized patient was treated with supportive care and was discharged on January 27. The suspect meat came from a wild mountain deer trapped on about December 10.