--- title: Texas infants contract Botulism date: 2024-03-28T19:00:53-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/texas-infants-contract-botulism" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # Texas infants contract Botulism According to Texas news reports, two newborns living with their families in the same West Texas neighborhood were earlier this year diagnosed with botulism, a rare — and in some cases, fatal — illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves. The families, who live within blocks of each other, learned of the diagnosis in mid-January and early February. A third newborn in the same neighborhood was previously diagnosed with botulism, which can cause difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis, in August. Hospitals in Lubbock treated the three infants. Local and state health officials said the types of botulism were different in each case, eliminating the need to issue an alert to others in the area, a decision which left the three families alarmed about the well-being of neighboring households with newborns. “This isn’t a one-off, this isn’t the flu,” said Jana Bowman, mom to one of the infants. “Families need to know what it looks like so that they don’t have another baby sitting \[at home\] for eight hours when they could have been getting care.” Two common ways infants contract botulism are through the environment and food. The Midland Health Department has not confirmed the cause of the exposure to the toxin that infected the three children, according to a spokesperson. However, the spokesperson ruled out food. “For many infant botulism cases the specific source is never identified due to the fact that it can be environmental, usually via dust that is stirred up due to windy conditions, construction around the home, or through contact with parents who work outdoors,” the spokesperson said. “Based on our investigation we do not believe the source to be foodborne.” ### Other Botulism Lawsuits [Nara Organics Infant Formula Botulism Outbreak Lawsuits](https://marlerclark.com/the-ten-largest-foodborne-illness-outbreaks-in-the-u-s-since-1993-and-marler-clarks-role-in-them) [By Heart Infant Formula tied to Botulism Outbreak spikes to 51](https://marlerclark.com/by-heart-infant-formula-tied-to-botulism-outbreak) [Botulism Outbreak at Valley Oak Food and Fuel](https://marlerclark.com/botulism-outbreak-at-valley-oak-food-and-fuel) [Marler Clark Files Two Botulism Lawsuits](https://marlerclark.com/marler-clark-files-two-botulism-lawsuits) ### Lawsuit updates 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [What is Botulism?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/what-is-botulism) Botulism is a life-threatening paralytic illness caused by neurotoxins produced by an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium—Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a rare disease and only affects a few hundred persons each... ###### [Epidemiology and Microbiology of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/epidemiology-and-microbiology-of-botulism) C. botulinum bacteria and spores are widely distributed in nature because they are indigenous to soils and waters. They occur in both cultivated and forest soils, bottom sediment of streams... ###### [Symptoms of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/symptoms-of-botulism) After their ingestion, botulinum neurotoxins are absorbed primarily in the duodenum and jejunum, pass into the bloodstream, and travel to synapses in the nervous system. There, the neurotoxins cause flaccid... ###### [Detection and Treatment of Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/detection-and-treatment-of-botulism) Although botulism can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, distinguishing it from other diseases is often difficult, especially in the absence of other known persons affected by the condition. Common... ###### [Botulism Outcomes and Long-Term and Permanent Injury](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism/botulism-outcomes-and-long-term-and-permanent-injury) In the past 50 years, mortality from botulism has fallen dramatically (from about 50% to 8%) because of advances in supportive care, which is the mainstay of treatment. The respiratory... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)