A case of foodborne botulism in Spokane, Washington, has prompted one health official to wonder if the bad economy will lead to a spike in the potentially fatal disease.

There are normally only 25-30 cases of foodborne botulism each year in the United States, but the mortality rate is high if not treated immediately and properly. Like the case in Spokane, most of the illnesses stem from improper home canning of low-acid foods such as green beans and asparagus.

The classic symptoms of foodborne botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. These are all symptoms of the muscle paralysis caused by the bacterial toxin.

In the recent case in Spokane, a nurse in there 30s and two children under the age of 10 became infected with botulism after eating improperly canned green beans from a home garden. The Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper reported that the woman remains on a ventilator but is recovering. The children suffered milder symptoms.

Epidemiologist Dorothy MacEachern of Spokane Regional Health District told the newspaper that she is concerned that hard economic times will lead to a rise in home canning and a subsequent increase in mistakes that will sicken people with botulism. Treatment of the disease frequently involves use of a special antitoxin.

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