Valeria, a twenty-one year old student at Iowa State University had spent Thanksgiving day with relatives at her grandparent’s farm. During her drive back to campus on Friday morning her vision became blurry, and she was forced to pull over to the side of the road. As she sat in her car, her vision worsened. She opened the car hood in hope of attracting aid and tried to relax. In a short time, a highway patrol officer pulled over and approached Valeria. By this time, Valeria was having trouble swallowing and speaking clearly. The officer helped Valeria to his car and rushed her to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
In the ER, Valeria is able to describe her symptoms to you. You make note of what Valeria had eaten during the last 24 hours find that Valeria’s grandmother canned all of her own vegetables. Her breathing then becomes labored. so you order a blood sample, to have her gastrointestinal tract pumped, and prepare a mechanical respirator just in case. Thinking she may have botulism, you ask that Valeria’s grandparents be contacted and samples of the Thanksgiving meal retained, if possible, and sent to a local clinic for analysis.