Botulism

Caused by a bacterial neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, botulism is a form of poisoning that leads to neurological damage.

Our missions

  • Monitoring the epidemiological trends of botulism

  • Enable the adaptation of preventive or exclusion measures

  • Informing the general public

The disease

Botulism in France

Human botulism is a rare but serious neurological condition that has been a reportable disease to Santé publique France since 1986. The laboratory diagnosis is performed by the National Reference Center (CNR) for Anaerobic Bacteria and Botulism (Institut Pasteur,...

Learn more

What We Do

Foodborne infectious diseases, such as botulism, pose a health risk to the population. Indeed, this form of food poisoning can lead to neurological complications that are sometimes severe. In this context, Santé publique France’s focus is on the epidemiological surveillance of this disease in...

Learn more

Data

Surveillance of human botulism cases in mainland France is based on mandatory reports (MRs) received by Santé publique France and supplemented by data from the National Reference Center (NRC) for Botulism at the Pasteur Institute.

A stable incidence rate

Since 1991, the incidence rate of...

Learn more

Publications

Botulism: Publications

Find here the latest scientific publications related to studies and research conducted by Santé publique France.

2 publications