Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the rate of food-born botulism poisoning from 2003 to 2007 in Iran.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the data of the botulism cases in Iran during were collected and analyzed epidemiologically on account of food items which produce it, processing type, affluence distribution in rural & urban vicinities and widespread types .

Results: Overall, 341 suspicious cases of botulism were recorded. The most and the least cases pertained to the years 2007(28.28%) and 2003 (12.6%), respectively. Among the provinces, Gilan lead the cases with 90 instances while the least amount related to West Azerbaijan with 4 occasions. Spawn and Salin fish (31.08 %) were the most botulism producing factors. Indeed, the prevalence rate in rustic vicinities (56.59%) was punctually more than cities (39.29%). Providing & consumption of canned foods in home was one of the most predominant causes of food poisoning (53.07%). Moreover, A and E types with the rate of (18-47 %) and (13.7-41.3 %), respectively were the most common causes of engendering botulism food poisoning.

Conclusion: This kind of food poisoning had an escalation probably due to paying more attention to record and reports of the occurred cases in recent years in comparison with what was used to be. Some measures like general health education , not using unsanitary and traditional food processing, heating sufficient while consumption, not using unpasteurized dairy product and regular supervising by health inspector can prevent claimed issue.

Hakim Research Journal 2009 11(4): 38- 46.