August 3, 2007

Two children in West Texas have been diagnosed with Botulism poisoning as a result of eating Castleberry’s Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce Original for lunch on June 28. One is now hospitalized in critical condition. The day after eating the tainted Castleberry’s Chili Sauce the two started to show classic signs of Botulism poisoning, including paralysis on both sides of their bodies and eye troubles.

They were placed on breathing machines after confirmation of botulism poisoning. The infected cans were produced on May 7 in the Castleberry’s Georgiacanning plant.

Due to the large volume of canned products involved in the Castleberry’s recall, alerting consumers of the contamination has been slow. Many people still have the cans in their pantrys and have no idea of the potential for Botulism poisoning they face. This will only result in more and more people being poisoned and diagnosed with Botulism poisoning.

See a doctor and contact an attorney immediately if you or anyone you know shows signs of botulism poisoning. You may recover monetary damages to compensate for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

The classic symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. The doctor's examination may reveal that the gag reflex and the deep tendon reflexes like the knee jerk are decreased or absent.

Infants with botulism appear lethargic, weak, and floppy, feed poorly, become constipated, and have a weak cry and poor muscle tone.

These are all symptoms of the muscle paralysis that is caused by the bacterial toxin. If untreated, these symptoms may progress to cause paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk, and breathing muscles.