This is an official
CDC Health Advisory
Distributed via Health Alert Network
September 29,
2006, 19:30 EDT ( 7:30 PM EDT)
CDCHAN-00251-06-09-29-ADV-N
Update: Foodborne Botulism toxin Type A associated with bottled carrot juice – Florida and Georgia
Two events of foodborne botulism have been caused
by the same commercial brand of carrot juice. Three residents of Georgia consumed commercially produced carrot juice from the same bottle. All sought
medical care on September 8, 2006, and all three were intubated. Clinical
specimens from all three case-patients yielded botulinum toxin type
A. High levels of botulinum toxin type A were identified in remnant carrot juice in
the bottle from which they drank.
On Monday, September 16, 2006, clinical samples
yielded high concentrations of botulinum toxin type A in a patient hospitalized in Tampa, Florida. Officials of Hillsborough County Health Department and state authorities
retrieved the bottle that contained carrot juice consumed by the patient before
illness onset. On Friday, September 29, 2006, the National Botulism Reference
Laboratory at CDC reported high levels of botulinum toxin in the remnant carrot
juice.
The label on the bottle consumed by the Georgia patients stated: Bolthouse Farms 100% carrot juice 1 liter bottle Use by date:
09/18/06 Keep chilled 451700. Health authorities in Florida are investigating
the purchase history of the contaminated juice. The Food and Drug
Administration is investigating the manufacturer.
Any suspected botulism case should be questioned
about exposure to carrot juice. Any suspected botulism case reported by a
clinician to a state health department should be reported immediately by the
state to CDC via the 24/7 CDC Botulism Clinical Consultation and Antitoxin
Release Service, by calling the CDC Emergency Operations Center at (770)
488-7100 and asking for the botulism officer on-call.
For more information on botulism visit this CDC
website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/botulism_g.htm
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