Man killed and nine rushed to hospital as BROCCOLI recalled across Italy in deadly outbreak
Broccoli has now been recalled in Italy after nine others were hospitalised with similar symptoms after eating the same meal from a food truck.
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Luigi Di Sarno, 52, died on Thursday after eating the sandwich from a street vendor on the Diamante seafront in the province of Cosenza.
Di Sarno's family also fell ill as they were all rushed to Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza including two 17-year-olds and two women in their 40s.
Two of the patients were reportedly in a serious condition when they arrived at the intensive care unit.
They were all showing signs of botulism linked to the popular green vegetable.
Botulism is a rare condition which can often be life-threatening and is caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
Following the outbreak in the Cosenza area,
The Paola Public Prosecutor's Office immediately ordered the seizure of jars of broccoli in oil, according to local media.
The food truck where the sandwiches were made has also been seized with an investigation launched into the spread of the toxin.
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Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Two die in Italy after eating sausage and turnip top sandwiches
Two people have died and more than a dozen have been taken to hospital after eating toxic sandwiches filled with sausages and turnip greens in Italy. Authorities have launched an investigation into an outbreak of toxic botulism after the panini were allegedly bought at a food truck near the town of Diamante in Calabria, the southern region that makes up the toe of the Italian boot. Luigi di Sarno, a 52-year-old artist, and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, have been named as the two fatalities. Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out on their bodies this week. Another 14 people came down with food poisoning, including two teenagers, and had to be taken to hospital. The victims all fell ill within 24 to 48 hours of eating the sandwiches. They went to the food truck and bought panini filled with grilled sausages and cime di rapa – or turnip tops – a popular summer vegetable in Italy similar to broccoli. Nine people are being investigated by the authorities, including the owner of the food truck and three employees of the company that allegedly made the sandwiches. Five doctors who treated the victims in two different hospitals near the city of Cosenza are also under investigation. They are accused of not having made their diagnoses quickly enough. Mr Di Sarno's sister said her brother was sent home from hospital despite still feeling unwell, and later died. 'Toxic botulism is highly potent,' said Enrico Di Rosa, the president of the Italian Society of Workplace Hygiene. 'Just a very small amount is enough to cause serious harm, as we have seen.' Investigators have ordered the nationwide seizure of the commercially produced panini. The food truck has also been seized and the products it sold are being analysed. Attacks the body's nerves Botulism is a serious illness that is caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. It can cause muscle paralysis, breathing difficulties and death. It occurs typically in canned, preserved and fermented foods. The owner of the food truck, 33-year-old Giuseppe Santonocito, is said to be 'devastated' by the deaths. It is thought the turnip greens were kept in olive oil in glass jars or containers. 'He is psychologically devastated,' said his lawyer, Francesco Liserre. 'He has worked for around nine years in the food sector and he is well respected. He is convinced that the contamination was already in the products that he served. 'He bought the products at the end of July, he has the receipts to prove it. The containers were opened as and when necessary and the contents would make six or seven panini, so they were used up quickly.' The outbreak in Calabria is the second deadly case of botulism in Italy in just a few days. A 38-year-old woman died in late July after eating tainted guacamole sauce at a festival in Sardinia. Seven other people suffered acute food poisoning. 'Following two major clusters of botulinum intoxication that occurred in recent weeks in Sardinia and Calabria, the Department of Prevention, Research and Health Emergencies of the Ministry of Health immediately activated all the health protocols,' the health ministry said. 'The intervention system reacted promptly, ensuring that patients had timely access to life-saving antidote treatments.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
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I can smell death and pregnancy... I can't stand to be around my elderly dad because the stench is so strong
A woman who has claimed that she can smell death and pregnancy on people has revealed how the unusual skill is both a blessing and a curse. The 34-year-old woman, who will be referred to as the pseudonym Michelle throughout the story as she asked to keep her name hidden for privacy reasons, from Italy, said she has 'had a strong sense of smell' since as long as she could remember. As a teenager, she said she'd sometimes pick up on scents that no one else did, but never thought much of it. But as time went on it only got more intense - and now, she has claimed she can detect when someone is expecting or if they're close to the end of their life based on their smell. During an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail, she explained that it started with her partner's elderly cat. '[The cat] was 21 years old and still seemed to be enjoying a fairly healthy life for her age… she wasn't in terrible physical shape, yet I remember clearly the day I smelled it on her,' Michelle recalled. '[It was] acrid, pungent, and it made me feel alarmed and anxious. I didn't tell my partner - I just didn't have the heart to. Two months later she died.' Michelle lives with her 87-year-old father, who she described as 'active' and 'mostly lucid,' but she said she recently started smelling the same stench on him. A woman who has claimed that she can smell death and pregnancy on people has revealed how the unusual skill is both a blessing and a curse (stock image) As for what it smells like, she described the scent as an 'elderly person but much sharper.' 'It hits your nostrils like a punch, and it's hard to stay in the same room with someone who's close to death,' Michelle explained. 'It's not chemical or poor hygiene, it's something entirely different.' She said she sometimes gets 'so overwhelmed' by the smell of her dad that she needs to sleep at friends' apartments. 'I wash my hands as if my sanity depended on it, and it probably does,' she added. 'When he touches my clothes (like a pat on my shoulder), I throw it in the washing machine the same day, even if it's just been cleaned.' She also claimed that she can tell when someone is expecting, because they too have a strong smell. 'I can smell it even before there's a belly, in the early weeks. I've guessed right and, sometimes, ruined the surprise for colleagues or friends,' Michelle said. She described the scent of pregnancy as 'intense and sweetish,' and while it's better than death, she said the smell is so 'intense' it often makes her nauseous. She revealed that sometimes she'll be walking down a crowded city street and suddenly start gagging if she passes someone who is expecting. 'I can smell it even before there's a belly. I've sometimes ruined the surprise for colleagues or friends,' she said of her ability to detect when someone's expecting (stock image) She also claimed to be able to use her nose to recognize her loved ones with her 'eyes closed,' as well as a whole array of other things. 'I can unfortunately smell when a man nearby is aroused (not necessarily by me, just in general), when people have had sex (disgusting, but I try to mind my own business), menstruation (sometimes even my own), colds and/or fevers, and many other things…' Michelle said. Michelle claimed that she's mentioned her unusual skill to doctors but none of them have taken it very seriously. She said its negatively impacted her life, and as someone who works in a grocery store, she often has to take breaks at work to get air due to the intense smells. 'At work, being in contact with the public, it's hell. Luckily I have a healthy work environment and they know I sometimes need to go out for air because I'm physically unwell,' she said. In the end, while she noted some may be jealous of her 'super-sense of smell,' she said she looks at it as more of a curse than a blessing. 'I consider it more of a curse given how it tends to at least partially ruin my life,' she concluded. 'I'd gladly trade it for an 'ordinary' nose without a second thought.' According to Very Well Health, there's a condition known as hyperosmia which involves having a 'heightened sense of smell.' Michelle recently opened up about her talent on Reddit, and in the comment section, some people confessed that they too have a similar ability 'Some people are simply born with a stronger sense of smell (olfaction). The exact genes responsible for inherited hyperosmia are unknown,' the website states. 'Super smellers might even be able to detect medical conditions by scent alone. For instance, a 2019 study by the American Chemical Society showed that a super smeller could identify the 'musky' smell of Parkinson's disease from 64 sebum samples collected from people with and without the condition.' Michelle recently opened up about her talent on Reddit, where the post went viral, raking in more than 7,000 likes and hundreds of comments. In the comment section, some people confessed that they too have a similar ability, while others shared their experiences with friends or family members who seemed to be able to smell things about them. 'I was six weeks pregnant, hadn't told anyone at work and obviously wasn't showing,' one user wrote. 'My student comes up to me and whispers, "I just know you are pregnant, I can smell you."' 'My best friend can also smell pregnant women! So crazy,' added another. 'You're not alone. I smell everything so bloody strongly I want to cry just trying to walk through a subway tunnel downtown,' someone else shared. 'Some things are unmistakable smelling and a bit "louder" for me too - death, illness (diabetes, some cancers, anemia)... I've been able to smell pregnancy on myself before, and guessed it quickly on most others, but nothing I can identify I smelled for certain triggered that one. 'I stopped asking questions about the why's and the hows of it all, and started focusing on how to survive a commute without vomiting lol.' 'I can smell cancer and death. My grandmother died from cancer, and I never forgot the smell,' read a fourth comment. 'I've smelled cancer on other people's grandparents, a neighbor, my pet cat. I didn't realize it wasn't something that people couldn't regularly smell until recently. 'I can smell mild sickness before fever and symptoms set in. Like a stomach bug or flu, it's like the body is starting to sweat out what it can beforehand.'
Scotsman
2 days ago
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What is Botulism? After man dies eating broccoli in Italy
Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition 🥦 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A man has died and nine others are in hospital after eating broccoli in Italy. Health officials believe the illnesses are caused by an outbreak of botulism. All of the cases have been linked to the same street vendor. A man has died in Italy after eating a sandwich containing broccoli that has been linked to an alleged outbreak of botulism. The victim has been named as 52-year-old Luigi Di Sarno. Whilst nine others who ate at the same food vendor have been rushed to the hospital. Two of whom were said to be in a serious condition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Authorities in the Cosenza Region are ordering a recall of broccoli across the region. Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Here is everything you need to know about botulism, cause, signs and symptoms, and how to prevent it. Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition. | Pexels, Pixabay What is botulism? Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The NHS explains that these toxins attack the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What causes botulism? Botulism is caused by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Found in soil, dust, river, and sea sediments, it is not harmful by itself, but can produce highly poisonous toxins when deprived of oxygen. There are 3 main types of botulism: Food-borne botulism When someone eats food containing Clostridium botulinum bacteria because it has not been properly canned, preserved, or cooked. Wound botulism It usually occurs as a result of injecting illegal drugs contaminated with the bacteria into the muscle rather than a vein. Infant botulism When a baby swallows a spore from contaminated soil or food, such as honey. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of botulism? The symptoms of botulism can develop in a few hours to several days after exposure, with symptoms depending on the type of botulism you have contracted. Botulism is rare in the UK, but it can be life-threatening. Without treatment, it will eventually cause paralysis that spreads down the body from the head to the legs. Symptoms of botulism can include: drooping eyelids blurred or double vision facial muscle weakness difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) slurred speech breathing difficulties Whilst other people will experience nausea, being sick (vomiting), stomach cramps, diarrhoea, or constipation. How to prevent getting botulism? The risk of getting food-borne botulism in the UK is low; however, there is a higher risk if you produce and can your own food. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Following food hygiene procedures and canning advice will reduce any risk. It is not advised to eat from cans that are bulging or damaged. You should not eat foul-smelling preserved foods kept at incorrect temperatures or that are out of date.
