Two people have died and 14 others have reportedly been hospitalized due to an ongoing botulism outbreak in Italy.
Tamara D’Acunto, 45, died last Wednesday, August 6, after consuming a sausage and turnip greens sandwich from a food truck in Diamante in Calabria, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Luigi Di Santo, a 52-year-old artist and musician from Cercola, also recently collapsed and died after consuming the same sandwich, per numerous reports. The sandwich contained turnip tops, a vegetable similar to broccoli; other reports have listed the type of green as broccoli rabe.
Fourteen people have been hospitalized after eating from the truck, reports say.
The Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) confirmed the botulism outbreak, saying that several of the foods seized from the truck in question were contaminated, according to Corriere del Mezzogiorno, a local newspaper.
“We assume he used only one kitchen tool to handle the food, otherwise it’s inexplicable,” one official said.
According to the CDC, botulism is a “rare, but serious illness” that targets the body’s nervous system and can cause difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and, in some cases, death.
“The bacteria that make botulinum toxin are found naturally in many places, but it’s rare for them to make people sick,” the CDC said. “These bacteria make spores, which act like protective coatings. Spores help the bacteria survive in the environment, even in extreme conditions.
“The spores usually do not cause people to become sick, even when they’re eaten. But under certain conditions, these spores can grow and make one of the most lethal toxins known.”
Foodborne botulism, which occurs when consuming foods containing the botulinum toxin, could have several sources, the CDC says.
“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,” the agency added.
A lawyer for the man who operates the food truck where the sickness originated says his client is “devastated,” adding that the man claims to have been properly storing all food items.
“He is convinced that the contamination was already in the products,” the lawyer said.
