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Japan records 1st infant botulism death after boy poisoned by honey

A baby died a month after being fed honey (TBS News)
A 5-month-old baby boy from Adachi Ward died a month after being fed honey (TBS News)

TOKYO (TR) – Government officials have revealed that a baby boy died of suspected food poisoning after being given honey in the first case of infant botulism resulting in death in Japan, reports TBS News (Apr. 7).

In February, the 5-month-old baby, a residence of Adachi Ward, died due to infant botulism after he ingested honey contaminated with toxin-producing bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum one month before, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said on Friday.

The baby’s family told the government that they didn’t know that honey shouldn’t be given to babies. “So we were mixing the honey into store-bought juice and feeding it to our baby because we thought it was good for his body,” a member of the family said.

Babies under 12 months shouldn’t be fed honey, the Tokyo government said. Honey itself is not a high-risk food, and the condition does not occur for those over 12 months.