About botulism
Botulism is an illness caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The C. botulinum bacteria spores are naturally present in the environment, often living in garden soil. Although botulism is a serious condition, fortunately it is very rare.
Disease type:
Gastrointestinal
Vaccination available under NIP:
No
Notifiable disease:
Yes
Prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
For information about prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, see healthdirect's botulism page.
Surveillance and reporting
Botulism is a nationally notifiable disease.
We monitor cases through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.
For more on botulism in Australia, you can search Communicable Diseases Intelligence.
Related programs
Botulinum is listed on the Security Sensitive Biological Agents Regulatory Scheme.
Date last updated: