We have seen stories of other people threaten individuals with an infection they may have known or not known they had, but a story from Louisville takes the such a threat to a new level.
According to local Louisville media, a woman claiming to be a nurse threatened a police officer with a “botulism IV”.
24-year-old Shenite R. Joseph was reportedly causing some disturbance at the Fourth Street Live! entertainment and retail complex in downtown Louisville and police asked her to leave. This is when it turned very bizarre as the she told the officer she was a nurse and that if the sheriff’s deputy ever came to her hospital, she would put “Clostridium Botulinum” in the deputy’s IV.
Joseph was arrested and charged with third degree criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanor charges.
Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms.
Related: Bioterrorism at the salad bar: 30 years ago in US history
