Question: What is the epidemiology and what are the risk factors for infant botulism?
Answer: The cited reference points out that “Botulism affects infants ranging from less than 1 week to 1 year of age with a median age of 10 weeks. Up to 95% of infant botulism cases occur in children younger than 6 months of age. Geographically the prevalence of infant botulism in the United States is highest in California, Utah, and the eastern Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware area. Type A disease tends to be more prevalent in the Western U.S., whereas type B disease is more prevalent in the eastern United States. Infants living in rural/farm environments appear to be at higher risk for contracting botulism than those living in more urban environments, presumably because of higher exposure to dust particles. It has been suggested that exposure to soil from active construction sites may also increase the risk of contracting botulism, whether by living near a construction site or by having a parent who works in construction; however this link has not been conclusively established.” (Rosow LK and Strober JB. Infant botulism: Review and clinical update. 2015 Pediatric Neurol 52:487-492)