Testing for Botulism

What to know

• Botulism is diagnosed by laboratory testing.
• It can take several days to get the results of your tests from the laboratory.
• If your healthcare provider suspects you have botulism, you might start treatment right away.

Botulism is a medical emergency.‎

If you have signs and symptoms of botulism, immediately see your doctor or go to the emergency room. Do not wait.

If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause full paralysis of some muscles. These muscles include ones used in breathing and ones in the arms, legs, and torso.*

*The torso is the part of the body from the neck to the pelvis area. It is also called the trunk.

Examination

Your healthcare provider will ask you questions and examine you to find out the cause of your symptoms.

These clues are usually not enough for your healthcare provider to diagnose you. That's because some botulism symptoms also occur with other diseases. These diseases include Guillain-Barré syndrome, meningitis, myasthenia gravis, stroke, and even opioid overdose.

Laboratory testing

Your healthcare provider might also order laboratory tests to look for the toxin or bacteria that cause botulism. These laboratory tests are the only way to know for certain whether you have botulism. It may take several days to get the results of your tests from the laboratory.

If your healthcare provider suspects you have botulism, you might start treatment immediately.

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Material produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a work of the United States government and is in the public domain.

Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.