The Infectious Science Podcast

← The Infectious Science Podcast10 Oct 2025 · 24 min

Botulism: Medicine, Menace, and a Masterclass in Food Safety

Botulism: Medicine, Menace, and a Masterclass in Food Safety10 Oct 202524 min

Imagine a toxin so potent that a few nanograms can shut down a muscle—and yet, in the right hands, it eases migraines and calms spasms. We take you from the sausage-linked origins of botulism to the science of spores, food safety, infant risks, wound contamination, and the carefully controlled medical use of botulinum toxin. Along the way, we unpack how this anaerobic bacterium survives heat, why improperly canned foods can become dangerous, and what really happens at the neuromuscular juncti...