Illustration of sardines. (PA)
Bordeaux: A woman died in France from botulism after eating sardines in a restaurant last week. French health authorities added that 12 other people were undergoing treatment for the rare disease.
Botulism is a serious neurological disease that is usually caused by eating improperly stored foods.
Restaurants in Bordeaux, in southwest France, prepared the sardines themselves. This is what the DGS indicated on Tuesday evening.
The nationality of the deceased woman has not yet been determined. However, sources close to the matter said the woman was 32 years old.
A doctor at Bordeaux’s Pellegrin hospital, Benjamin Clouzeau, said 12 other people were still receiving emergency care Wednesday morning. “Five of them are using breathing apparatus,” the doctor said, as reported by the newspaper. AFPWednesday September 13, 2023.
“The group includes citizens of the United States, Ireland and Canada,” he said.
A German citizen returned home for treatment, as did a resident of Barcelona, Spain.
They all dined at the “Tchin Tchin Wine Bar” restaurant in Bordeaux, between September 4 and 10, when there are usually a lot of tourists in a city famous for its wine and gastronomy.
“They all ate sardines that the restaurant owner kept in jars,” said the DGS.
Botulism is fatal in five to ten percent of cases due to a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum that can occur when canned foods are not properly sterilized.
Authorities are still conducting tests at the restaurant. The DGS adds that it cannot exclude the appearance of new cases of botulism with an incubation period of up to several days.
This can cause muscle paralysis that lasts for several weeks, with the most immediate danger coming from the affected respiratory muscles.
Local newspaper Sud-Ouest quoted the restaurant’s owner as saying he had thrown away several jars of sardines because of the “acrid smell” that emanated from the containers when he opened them.
“However, others appear to be in good condition and are being served to customers,” he said.
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