OTTAWA – The three Canadians who fell ill during a botulism outbreak in France are from Quebec, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed Friday.

These three Quebecers are among at least 12 people who contracted the disease after eating sardines prepared and served at Tchin Tchin Wine Bar, an establishment in Bordeaux, France.

The food was consumed between September 4th and 10th.

The Associated Press reported that some patients have been discharged from the hospital, but most are in intensive care or in critical condition. One patient who was not from Canada died. The French health authority is leading the investigation.

Other tourists from the USA, Ireland, Germany and Spain were also among the sick.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it cannot release the health status of patients in Quebec because it is private health information.

PHAC says there could be more cases, including among other Canadians traveling to France, as it can take up to eight days for symptoms of botulism to appear.

She recommends anyone who ate at the wine bar between Sept. 4 and Sept. 10 to monitor themselves and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth or difficulty breathing occur. .

Botulism is a rare but serious disease caused by bacteria that produce a toxin. Transmission occurs primarily through consumption of food or drink contaminated with this toxin and can result in respiratory failure, paralysis, and sometimes death.

Food that has not been properly preserved, preserved, or fermented is a common cause of botulism.

PHAC says safe food-handling practices can help prevent botulism, including refrigerating leftovers immediately, using oil-preserved foods within 10 days of opening the containers, storing these species in the refrigerator, etc Proper preservation of food and consumption of food that is dented, bulging or punctured.

– With files from The Associated Press

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