An American college student has been released after more than 17 months in detention in North Korea. Pyongyang told a US official that Otto Warmbier contracted botulism and slipped into the coma after taking a sleeping pill, according to CNN
Nerves attacked
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin, botulinum, that attacks the body’s nerves. The toxin is produced by Clostridium botulinum and sometimes Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii bacteria, according to America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fatal threat
How serious is the disease? The toxin causes difficulty in breathing, muscle paralysis and even death. The bacteria that produces the toxin thrive in low-oxygen conditions, such as canned foods, deep wounds and the intestinal tract. When threatened, they form protective spores with a hard coating that allows them to survive for years, writes health journalist Sandee LaMotte in CNN
These spores do not usually cause people to become sick, even when they are eaten, LaMotte adds. But under certain conditions, the spores produce one of the most lethal toxins—even microscopic amounts can kill a human being
Toxin to look younger
Botox, the leading cosmetic solution for wrinkles, is also produced from botulinum. Botox blocks the nerves that contracts muscles thus softening the appearance of wrinkles. But when Botox is not administered under hygienic conditions, there is a risk of contracting botulism
Botox injections
Botox injections also have been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration to treat uncontrolled blinking lazy eye and other disorders, according to Stanford University