Peñuelas, MarinaGuerrero-Vadillo, MaríaValdezate, SylviaZamora, María JesúsLeon-Gomez, InmaculadaFlores-Cuéllar, ÁngelesCarrasco, GemaDiaz Garcia, Maria OlivaVarela Martinez, Maria del Carmen2023-04-192023-04-192023Toxins (Basel). 2023;15(1):2.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/15852Background: Botulism is a low incidence but potentially fatal infectious disease caused by neurotoxins produced mainly by Clostridium botulinum. There are different routes of acquisition, food-borne and infant/intestinal being the most frequent presentation, and antitoxin is the treatment of choice in all cases. In Spain, botulism is under surveillance, and case reporting is mandatory. Methods: This retrospective study attempts to provide a more complete picture of the epidemiology of botulism in Spain from 1997 to 2019 and an assessment of the treatment, including the relationship between a delay in antitoxin administration and the length of hospitalization using the Cox proportional hazards test and Kruskal-Wallis test, and an approach to the frequency of adverse events, issues for which no previous national data have been published. Results: Eight of the 44 outbreaks were associated with contaminated commercial foods involving ≤7 cases/outbreak; preserved vegetables were the main source of infection, followed by fish products; early antitoxin administration significantly reduces the hospital stay, and adverse reactions to the antitoxin affect around 3% of treated cases.engVoRhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BotulismFood-borne botulismInfant botulismBotulinum neurotoxinsBotulism antitoxinBotulismAntitoxinsClostridium botulinumAnimalsRetrospective StudiesSpainBotulinum AntitoxinAtribución 4.0 Internacional36668823151210.3390/toxins150100022072-6651Toxinsopen access