A man has died and nine others have been rushed to the hospital after eating sandwiches that contain broccoli as a botulism outbreak takes place in Europe.
Several people ate from a food truck
Luigi Di Sarno was among several people who ate a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a food truck in the Italian town of Diamante.
The 52-year-old lost his life due to botulism, a rare foodborne illness, according to reports from The Mirror and 7 News.
Nine others were rushed to the hospital
Other victims who ate the same sandwich were rushed to the nearby Annunziata Hospital where they were placed in the intensive care unit.
Those who have fallen ill include two teenagers and members of Di Sarno’s family.
How does botulism affect the body?
Botulism is caused by the toxin clostridium botulinum, which attacks the body’s nervous system and can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and in rare cases, death, per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It can be in foods that weren’t preserved right
“Foodborne botulism can happen by eating foods that have been contaminated with botulinum toxin,” states the CDC.
“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.”
Another woman died two weeks earlier
The news comes only two weeks after a 38-year-old woman died of potentially the same causes after eating a taco with guacamole at a festival in Cagliari, on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Outlets also reported that an 11-year-old boy who ate guacamole was flown from the island to Rome for hospitalization.
Italian government agencies are investigating
A variety of government agencies in Italy are investigating the botulism outbreak and collecting samples of the affected foods which hold the illness, per The Mirror and 7 News.
They are also reportedly shutting down food vendors that have been impacted.
The exact product being seized is unclear
Although it’s not confirmed what type of product is exactly being recalled, 7 News reports that local outlets are saying officials are seizing broccoli preserved in oil.
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As the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paola is investigating, Achille Ordine, the mayor of Diamante, asked the public in a Thursday, August 7 statement on Facebook not to panic.
Antidotes were recently transported
The Calabria’s Department of Health and Welfare also said on Friday that military aircrafts were transporting the botulism antidote to various impacted hospitals.
“Annunziata Hospital currently has a stockpile of the antidote. This is an exceptional measure due to the emergency situation, despite the fact that standard practice does not require hospitals to directly hold the drug,” the department said.
