Guacamole contaminated with paralysing bug leaves eight people sick after attending a festival
DIP DISASTER Guacamole contaminated with paralysing bug leaves eight people sick after attending a festival
At least eight people have fallen ill and were rushed to hospital in Italy after eating guacamole suspected to be contaminated with botulism.
They are thought to have eaten the dip in tacos from a Mexican food stand at Fiesta Latina, a festival held between July 22 and 25 in Monserrato, on the island of Sardinia.
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At least eight people have fallen sick after eating from a taco stand
Credit: Getty
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Health chiefs believe the tacos contained guacamole that may have been contaminated with Clostridium botulinum
Credit: Metro Chef
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin called Clostridium botulinum, considered to be one of the most lethal substances known to man.
It can attack the nervous system, leading to breathing issues, muscle paralysis, and, in about 10 per cent of cases, can be deadly.
Four of the eight people were rushed to the neurology ward at Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari, Italy's leading news agency, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), said.
Three have been discharged, while a 38-year-old woman's condition deteriorated and she was moved to intensive care. A middle-aged man remains under observation in the neurology ward.
Over at the Policlinico of Monserrato, a major hospital in Sardinia, two patients remain in intensive care. A 14-year-old girl is now breathing on her own, but a 62-year-old woman remains on respiratory support.
An 11-year-old boy is in very serious condition. He was transferred on last Thursday morning from Brotzu to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he is now in intensive care, local paper L'Unione Sarda said.
The most common way to get botulism is by eating food contaminated with the toxin, usually due to improper processing.
Based on the information so far, Italian health authorities have pulled the Metro Chef's 'avocado pulp' used to make the guacamole from shelves in Italy, as a precaution.
The avocado sauce comes in 1kg plastic bags and is mainly sold to professional food service operators, such as restaurants and food trucks, rather than supermarkets.
The batches, imported from Peru, were recalled after the possible presence of botulinum toxin was detected.
Five people fighting for their lives in intensive care after eating pesto laced with brain-infecting bug
A spokesperson for Metro Chef, said [translated from Italian] : 'The quality and safety of products are, in fact, an absolute priority for Metro.
"The company has promptly taken all necessary measures to protect customers' health, alerting them about the incident, in full compliance with current regulations.
"Metro is in constant contact with local authorities and will provide updates as soon as they become available.
Meanwhile, the public prosecutor's office in Cagliari - the capital of Sardinia - has opened an investigation into the possible botulism outbreak.
The organiser of Fiesta Latina has been named a suspect, though no formal notification has yet been made, according to the organiser's lawyer.
Samples of the guacamole seized by the police are now being tested at the National Institute of Health in Rome to confirm the presence of the toxin.
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