One person has died and many others remain hospitalized in Russia due to a botulism outbreak spanning several Russian regions, authorities said.
Of food origin botulism is a rare disease caused by a toxin produced by a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. Eating food contaminated with the toxin can cause paralysis, breathing difficulties and sometimes death. Improperly canned, preserved, or fermented foods are common sources.
Typical symptoms of botulism may include severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing or speaking, and neurological symptoms.
Russian authorities blame the outbreak on ready-made salads that contained canned beans and were prepared by a popular delivery service. Since mid-June, authorities in Moscow, the outer Moscow region, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan have reported cases of botulism.
On Monday, an aide to Russian Health Minister Alexei Kuznetsov reported that a total of 369 people were hospitalized with symptoms of botulism. Kuznetsov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that 218 people remained in hospital as of Monday, including 38 people on ventilators, while 151 people had been discharged.
A 21-year-old man died in a hospital in the city of Kostroma, local authorities said on Monday. According to authorities, the man traveled to Nizhny Novgorod, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Kostroma, to visit family and there ordered salad with beans.
Health authorities initially linked at least some of the cases in Moscow to two brands of ready-made salads. Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s public health agency, suspended sales of the salads pending investigation after the first cases of poisoning were reported.
Within days, authorities pinpointed one of two salads as the culprit – the one made and sold by the popular delivery service Kukhnya Na Rayone, which operates in Moscow, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and several other cities. Kukhnya Na Rayone suspended operations, saying in an online statement that it no longer offered salad with canned beans and that it would also check its other products.
A criminal investigation has been launched into the accusation of manufacturing and distributing products that violate safety standards. Authorities detained two senior managers at Kukhnya Na Rayone, as well as the head of a company that makes canned beans and a man who worked there as a cook. The cook was placed in custody pending investigation and trial, while the other three were placed under house arrest.
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