Botulism Outbreak in Bordeaux Restaurant: One Fatality Reported, Multiple Tourists Affected

2023-09-13 09:46:25

One person died of botulism, a serious and rare neurological disease, while around ten were affected, including tourists of Canadian, German and American nationality, who ate artisanal canned sardines in a restaurant in Bordeaux, in the south. West of France.

The Directorate General of Health (DGS) announced Tuesday evening one death in the Paris region, out of a total of 10 reported cases.

According to Dr. Benjamin Clouzeau, anesthetist-resuscitator at the Pellegrin hospital in Bordeaux, 12 were now identified on Wednesday morning: seven in intensive care, five on respiratory assistance and one placed in a continuing care unit.

These are Quebecers, Irish and Americans, according to the doctor.

“There are other cases linked to the Bordeaux outbreak, including a German who had returned and who was taken care of in his country, a priori he is fine,” added Mr. Clouzeau, referring to a similar case in Barcelona in Spain.

All these people have in common that they ate in the same restaurant, the “Tchin Tchin Wine Bar”, between September 4 and 10 in Bordeaux, where tourist numbers are high in September.

In this city center establishment, popular with Anglo-Saxon customers, all the patients “consumed sardines in jars made by the restaurateur (artisanal manufacture)”, underlines the DGS.

The health authorities recommend that people who attended the establishment on the same dates and present symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, vision or speech problems) “see a doctor urgently”.

Samples were taken in the restaurant and analyzes are underway for “biological confirmation” of the disease.

Botulism is a serious neurological condition, fatal in 5 to 10% of cases, caused by a very powerful toxin produced by the bacteria clostridium botulinum, which develops particularly in poorly preserved foods due to lack of sufficient sterilization.

Botulinum neurotoxins attack the nervous system and cause eye problems (double vision), difficulty swallowing and, in advanced forms, paralysis of the muscles, particularly respiratory muscles, which can lead to death.

Questioned on Tuesday by the local newspaper “Sud-Ouest”, the manager of the incriminated restaurant admitted to having served cans of artisanal sardines and that upon opening, some had to be thrown away due to a “strong odor”. But “others appeared healthy and were served to customers,” he said.

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