BANGOR – The condition of a Madawaska man being treated for botulism at a Bangor hospital was upgraded this week from serious to good. His teen-age son remained in serious condition.

David Pelletier, 40, was taken off a respirator last weekend, a relative reported. The machine had assisted him with breathing during his stay at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Joshua Pelletier, 13, was still being assisted by a respirator.

The two were poisoned with food-borne botulism, according to a state epidemiologist.

The father and son became sick at home on Jan. 13 and were hospitalized on Jan. 14 at Northern Maine Medical Center at Fort Kent. They both were taken to EMMC on Jan. 15.

The cases are the first two involving food-borne botulism in Maine since before 1950, according to Geoff Beckett, chief of the infectious disease epidemiology section at the Maine Bureau of Health.

Beckett said Wednesday that no new information had come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta since last week.

“They are still in the process of testing specimens from home-canned foods found in the house,” Beckett said. “There are no exotic foods involved.

“The testing involves tomato sauce and its ingredients,” Beckett said.

Food that was tested in Atlanta came from a 10-day food history taken from the family. Food from commercial establishments was tested with negative results.

No other cases of food-borne botulism have been reported in northern Maine and western New Brunswick.

Food-borne botulism is caused by spores of bacteria found in canned foods, mostly in those canned at home. The bacteria, which grow best in low- or no-oxygen conditions, secrete a toxin that causes the symptoms of botulism.

The toxin interferes with nerve transmission, causing paralysis and difficulty breathing and swallowing.

Victims suffer from paralysis for weeks, sometimes months. Long-term therapy usually is needed to aid recovery.

Symptoms usually appear with 18 to 36 hours of eating contaminated food.