At least five people hospitalized after eating pesto
Five people have been hospitalized after eating the brand’s wild garlic pesto O little onions-mobile kitchen (by Thierry Leloup), in Indre-et-Loire, indicates the General Directorate of Health (DGS) this Tuesday.
“We were informed on [lundi] September 9 of the occurrence of 5 cases clinically suggestive of food botulism (damage to the cranial nerves which can develop into descending paralysis)”, indicates the DGS press release. “These 5 people are currently hospitalized.”
Other cases may occur
Botulism occurs after an incubation period of a few hours to a few days, depending on the mode of contamination. Also, “the occurrence of other cases in the coming days is not excluded,” warns the DGS.
“All the cases shared the same meal, where they consumed in particular the same product, canned wild garlic pesto of artisanal production,” continued the DGS. “The investigations carried out showed the lack of control over the sterilization process of these preserves.”
Canned food recalled
Food remains “were recovered and will be analyzed by the CNR anaerobic bacteria and botulism (Institut Pasteur Paris) for biological confirmation of botulism.” These canned goods are subject to a recall measure. They were sold at several events.
Botulism is a serious neurological condition, fatal in 5 to 10% of casesIt is caused by a very powerful neurotoxin, itself produced by the bacteria. Clostridium botulinum. Most often, the cause is poorly preserved or poorly sterilized food, recalls Public Health France. Most of the very rare cases recorded in France correspond to food poisoning by ingestion of the toxin produced by C. botulinum found in defective canned goods, often home-made or artisanal. But it is the toxin itself and not the bacteria that causes the disease.
Multiple symptoms
The incubation period can vary from a few hours to a few days, depending on the mode of contamination – and around 18 to 36 hours for foodborne botulism, recalls Santé Publique France. This condition does not trigger any fever or sensory disturbance.
On the other hand, those affected report early and sometimes very temporary digestive signs, and of varying intensity depending on the patient (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), but also “ocular damage (lack of accommodation, blurred vision), neurological symptoms responsible for a risk of choking, dry mouth accompanied by impaired swallowing or even speech, more or less severe paralysis of the muscles.” In advanced forms, paralysis of the muscles, particularly respiratory muscles, can lead to death.
