Table 2.
Clinical Characteristics of the 8 Outbreak-Associated Cases
| Characteristic | No. (%) |
|---|---|
| Clinical severity | |
| Hospitalized | 8 (100) |
| Required mechanical ventilatory support | 7 (88) |
| Received botulinum antitoxina | 5 (63) |
| Neurologic symptoms reported | |
| Dysphagia | 7 (88) |
| Blurred vision | 5 (63) |
| Slurred speech | 7 (88) |
| Double vision | 5 (63) |
| Muscle weakness | 8 (100) |
| Gastrointestinal symptoms | |
| Abdominal pain | 1 (13) |
| Diarrhea | 2 (25) |
| Nausea | 3 (38) |
| Vomiting | 1 (13) |
a
Of the 3 patients who did not receive antitoxin, 2 (patients 1 and 8) were diagnosed with botulism weeks after illness onset and no circulating botulinum neurotoxin was found in the serum tested. The third (patient 7) was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a month after illness onset and no circulating botulinum neurotoxin was found in the serum tested.