LETTER
The Botulism Hazard
Henry S. Sacks, MD, PhD
1 June 1997 | Volume 126 Issue 11 | Pages 918-919
TO THE EDITOR:
The article by Townes and colleagues on an outbreak of type A botulism [1] apparently caused by a commercial cheese sauce was fascinating and instructive, and the physicians who made the diagnosis deserve a lot of credit. I am writing to request expansion of the following unreferenced statement in the discussion: "If preservatives that provide an additional intrinsic barrier to the production of botulinum toxin were added to this and similar products, future outbreaks might be prevented." What preservatives do they have in mind, how do they work, and how much would they add to costs? In view of the rarity of botulism and the apparently even greater rarity of botulism caused by cheese sauce (and "similar products"?), would adding these preservatives really be cost-effective? A more reasonable strategy might be simply to require that "refrigerate after opening" instructions on cans be printed in type larger than 2 mm.
|
Author and Article Information
|
|---|
Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029-6574
1. Townes JM, Cieslak PR, Hatheway CL, Solomon HM, Holloway JT, Baker MP. An outbreak of type A botulism associated with a commercial cheese sauce. Ann Intern Med. 1996; 125:558-63.
About Letters
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
Top
Author & Article Info
REFERENCE
Article
