Please correct me, as this is only my personal understanding of how botulism works. What kills me? Only the toxin. Neither the bacteria nor the spores are dire

Please correct me, as this is only my personal understanding of how botulism works. What kills me? Only the toxin. Neither the bacteria nor the spores are directly lethal. How does the toxin get into my body? A) I eat it, from food contaminated with toxin. B) I breath it, from toxin in the air. C) I eat or breath bacteria / spores, and they produce the toxin inside my body. How does that happen? A) Badly preserved food. Normal, fresh food, does not contain toxin, but can contain spores / bacteria. Over long periods of time (how long?), in the right conditions (low oxygen / low salt / low acid) bacteria will proliferate (even starting from the very resistant spores), and eventually produce toxin. This can not be seen / smelled, and is the source of most toxin poisoning. B) Only in warfare, and not even sure if that's been developed. Maybe even forbidden by international conventions "regulating" warfare? C) Only if I am a baby. Adult's digestive tract will kill both bacteria and spores, preventing toxin production. How much toxin is lethal? According to the article, a microgram can kill an adult. What is the rate of toxin production by the bacteria? How long do I need to leave toxin-free food exposed to bacteria in order to become dangerously poisoned? At home we usually leave cooked food standing for the next day (sometimes, against my will, outside the fridge) and then we heat it at low temperatures and eat it. Is this safe? Probably yes botulism-wise, but has other problems.