Joint International Conference on Long-term Experiments ...

4./ Discussions
Botulism is a serious disease which not being treated leads to demise (Arnon et al, 2006,
Mandell et al, 2005, Mayo Clinic, 2006). The historical study of the decays hotbeds
prove the decrease in time of the number of the collective hotbeds, with the increase of
the individual cases. In the present study 14 (48,27%) persons belong to the familial
hotbeds, the rest of 15 (51,72%) ill people being individual cases of decay (Mandell et
al, 2005; McLauchlin et al, 2006; WHO, 2006). It is also observed an increased
incidence of botulism in Bihor county in the last 10 years, the maximum incidence
being registered in 2004 with a total of 11 (37,93%) cases, fact that reveals the customs
of preparing meat, fish and many other tinned food, frequently, incorrectly in precarious
conditions of hygiene.
A feature of the present lot consists of the non-recognition of the initial clinical
table, 20 (68,96%) patients being hospitalized with different diagnoses in other medical
services, being transferred in our service after a rigorous neurological exam and the
exclusion of the other neurological diseases; thus: 7 (24,13%) patients were formally
hospitalized at Neurology and 1 (3,44%) case at Pediatry, digestive signs, marked
asthenia and specific neurological signs, as well as the existence of one or more
members of the same family with characteristic symptomatology missing the initial
examiners.
The data from the literature point out a bigger frequency of botulism on men
(60%) with the highest level of morbidity at 30-39 and 50-59 years (Mandell et a, 2005;
Rebedea et al, 2000), unlike our lot where the report men/women tries to become equal
with the highest level of morbidity at the group of age 15-24 years (from the category of
pupils/students, with the frequency of the alimentary packs incorrectly preserved).There
weren’t observed peculiar differences as concerns the provenience area of the patients
or their level of education.
Most of cases evolved as average clinical forms, the evolution being severe only in
two cases, with the appearance of respiratory insufficiency because of respiratory
muscular paralysis on a young woman patient of 20 years and of coma on a 3 year old
girl, the clinical evolution being further favorable in both situations. The predominant of
the average forms of the disease, as well as of the eradicators of pork meat involved in
most of diseases, lead us to the association with the B type of exotoxin, frequent in
Europe (Mandell et al, 2005; Rebedea et al, 2000), although the toxinopatia of the
botulism cases couldn’t be made.
A bigger frequency of the diseases in the months of February and May is also
correlated with the local customs ( the pig butchery in December, meat preservation and
that of other pork products being smoked during months) and with the culinary customs
for Easter.
5./ Conclusions
1. Botulism is a severe alimentary toxiinfection which, not being treated leads to
demise; the prevention of the decay consists of a harsh alimentary hygiene.
2. The increased incidence of the decay (both under familial hotbeds and individual
cases) in Bihor county because of the culinary customs specific to this geographic
area.
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