This bacteria is known to produce a deadly neurotoxin, a condition commonly known as botulism. Clostridium botulinum is a gram positive, anaerobic, endospore producing, rod shaped bacteria found throughout the world mainly in soil and the sediments in oceans and lakes. The main symptom of the botulism is symmetric descending flaccid paralysis beginning with the paralysis of motor and autonomic cranial nerves, then slowly affecting upper extremities, respiratory muscles and then lower extremities. Respiratory muscle paralysis leads to ventilatory failure and death if no care is sought. Although there are only about 110 reported cases of botulism in the US, this bacteria has the fatality rate of 10% of those affected and 50% of those left untreated. The most common category presented in humans is foodborne botulism which makes up about 25% of the reported cases. Anyone could ingest the viable C. botulinum spores in canned food and from other areas containing little to no oxygen, low acid, sugar and salt contents and can cause various gastrointestinal symptoms. Other categories of botulism include wound botulism when the viable spores penetrate damaged skin, infant botulism commonly caused by the ingestion of the toxin in honey by an infant, and adult infectious botulism which shows similar symptoms to infant botulism but is caused by the toxin entering the body through a surgical scar. Because so little is known about this disease, the few preventative measures that can be taken include being careful in the way in which food is prepared. Undercooked, canned or food that has not been refrigerated properly have the potential to carry this toxin.