Medical Dictionary

botulism

noun bot·u·lism \ˈbäch-ə-ˌliz-əm\

Medical Definition of BOTULISM

:  acute food poisoning caused by botulinum toxin produced in food by a bacterium of the genus Clostridium (C. botulinum) and characterized by muscle weakness and paralysis, disturbances of vision, swallowing, and speech, and a high mortality rate—see botulinum toxin, limberneck

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