A man has died, and nine people were rushed to the hospital in Italy after eating a broccoli sandwich amid a Botulism outbreak.
The 52-year-old musician, Luigi Di Sarno, became severely ill after consuming a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a food truck in the coastal town of Diamante in the province of Cosenza.
All the victims were taken to Annunziata Hospital. The nine people include the family members of the musician. They were spending a holiday in Calabria.
Authorities said that two members of the family are in serious condition. The group include two ladies in their 40s and two teenagers.
The incident comes after a growing botulism outbreak in Italy caused by the toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. The bacteria contaminated the food. Botulism is a rare but serious illness that directly attacks the nervous system.
The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, “Common sources of foodborne botulism are homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved or fermented. Though uncommon, store-bought foods also can be contaminated with botulinum toxin.”
Authorities have seized trucks to investigate how disease-causing bacteria spread in the food, specifically broccoli preserved in oil. The investigation is part of a broader effort to find out the source of the outbreak.
The procedures are activated to deal with the botulism outbreak, including obtaining and distributing the antitoxin serum.
According to People.com, the Calabria Region’s Department of Health and Welfare provided some details on the activated procedure: “The emergency procedure established in these cases has been activated, which requires immediate notification to the Poison Control Centre in Pavia, the only national centre designated for the management of botulism.”
Other contributing factors include foods like turnip tops, olives, and mushrooms. Italy has the highest number of botulism cases in Europe. It can be a significant health issue in regions with a home canning tradition.
The foods that are high risk for botulism are: foil-wrapped baked potatoes, cheese sauce, carrot juice, and chopped garlic in oil.
