2023-09-15 17:09:52
While around fifteen people have been identified as having contracted botulism, a rare neurological disease, health authorities in several foreign countries are warning their nationals.
Call for caution. After the death of a 32-year-old woman and the hospitalization of several people for cases of food botulism, the English, American, Irish and Canadian health authorities are calling on their nationals who frequented the restaurant concerned and located in Bordeaux, in Gironde, to go to the emergency room immediately. A precautionary measure, while the affected people identified so far are all foreign nationals.
Seek emergency treatment in case of symptoms
The Irish Health Protection Surveillance Center (HSPC), which reports to the Department of Public Health, “advises anyone who ate sardines at the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar” in Bordeaux “between Monday 4 and Sunday 10 September” and “who feel bad about going for emergency treatment,” in a statement released Wednesday.
Same thing with the United Kingdom Public Health Agency (UKHSA). It indicates that “alerts were issued to warn anyone who ate” in the restaurant concerned during the period from September 4 to 10. The health agency specifies that three British nationals are among the identified patients and are currently being treated in England.
The Canadian health agency also reports three cases among its nationals. “It is possible that others will be identified among the Canadians traveling to France who consumed a meal in this restaurant given that symptoms of botulism take up to eight days to appear,” she explains in a press release published THURSDAY.
Two Americans are also added to the list. “Given the last known meal (September 9, 2023), additional cases are possible,” the North American authorities also report.
Up to 8 days of incubation
In total, twelve people have been identified so far as presenting signs “clinically suggestive of foodborne botulism”, this rare neurological disease which can cause, in its most serious forms, paralysis of the muscles, particularly respiratory muscles, and then cause a death. Its symptoms can appear between 2 hours and 8 days after ingestion.
According to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency (ARS), all of the affected people who have been identified are of foreign nationality: there are Canadian, Spanish, American, German, Spanish and Irish nationals.
The deceased is a 32-year-old woman who died in Île-de-France. She had frequented the Bordeaux restaurant with her partner who is still in intensive care. The Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office decided this Friday to open a preliminary investigation into charges of unintentional injury, involuntary homicide, placing on the market foodstuffs harmful to health and sale of corrupted or toxic foodstuffs.
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