In Italy, Musician Dies After Eating Broccoli Sandwich; Botulism Outbreak Suspected
A rare outbreak could emerge from Italy's street food scene after a musician died and nine were hospitalised for eating broccoli and sausage sandwiches from a vendor.
Italy stands on high alert over a suspected botulism outbreak following the death of a musician after he had a broccoli sandwich. Local authorities have issued a nationwide recall of broccoli over the passing of Luigi Di Sarno, a 52-year-old artist and musician, who became the victim of the rare outbreak linked to a street food vendor, for which nine others were hospitalised.
Did The Musician Really Die Of Eating Broccoli?
Yes. According to a report in the London Evening Standard, Di Sarno, a 52-year-old musician from Cercola in the province of Naples, died of the outbreak associated with eating a contaminated broccoli and sausage sandwich while he was travelling back home from a holiday with his family.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday, August 7, when Di Sarno stopped by at a food truck on the seafront in Diamante, Cosenza province, with his family. They ordered broccoli and sausage sandwiches. Soon after resuming their journey, Di Sarno fell sick while driving on the highway near Lagonegro in Potenza.
The musician had to pull over in the town of Basilicata and emergency medical services were called. However, Di Sarno died even before he could be taken to the hospital.
Nine other people were hospitalised after eating from the same vendor, whose cart could be the centre of a major outbreak. The list included Di Sarno's family members, among whom were two teenagers and two women in their 40s. All had to be put in the ICU at Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza.
The musician's death occurred not long after eight people were hospitalised in Sardinia following botulism cases associated with guacamole served at a Mexican food stand. That incident took place during the Fiesta Latin festival between 22 and 25 July in Monserrato.
According to medical experts, Botulism is a condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria that can develop in improperly processed foods. The disease directly attacks the nervous system, leading to breathing challenges and muscle paralysis.
'Foodborne botulism can happen by eating foods that have been contaminated with botulinum toxin. Common sources… are homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved or fermented," said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 'Though uncommon, store-bought foods also can be contaminated with botulinum toxin."
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