Infant Botulism: New Guise for an Old Disease

While classic botulism is usually due to preformed toxin in improperly prepared food, the newly recognized infant syndrome occurs when spores or vegetative cells germinate in the gut of the very young and elaborate toxin there. The resulting illness may range from inapparent to fulminant, sometimes causing respiratory arrest and death. Infant botulism may also account for at least some cases of sudden infant death syndrome.