A Case of Adult Botulism following Ingestion of Contaminated Egyptian Salted Fish ("Faseikh")

Food-borne botulism is a rare and serious disease caused by potent neurotoxin of the Clostridium botulinum which is a Gram-positive strictly anerobic organism. It manifests clinically as descending paralysis characterized by prominent oculo-bulbar palsies and symptoms and autonomic signs in an afebrile patient with normal sensorium. If not promptly and aggressively treated it may lead to fatality. In this communication, we report a case of food poisoning resulting in adult botulism that responded to early and effective treatment with specific antitoxin and supportive therapy. The patient made a remarkable recovery and was discharged home three weeks after admission. This case is the first to be reported for adult variant botulism in Arabian Gulf States.