While about fifteen people have been diagnosed with botulism, a rare neurological disease, health authorities in several other countries are warning their nationals.

Call for caution. Following the death of a 32-year-old woman and the hospitalization of several people due to food botulism, the English, American, Irish and Canadian health authorities are calling on their nationals who visited the affected restaurant in Bordeaux in the Gironde to immediately go to the emergency room. A precautionary measure, as the affected people identified so far are exclusively foreign nationals.

If you have symptoms, seek emergency treatment

The Irish Health Protection Surveillance Center (HSPC), which operates under the Department of Health, “advises anyone who ate sardines at the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar” in Bordeaux between Monday 4th and Sunday 10th September and “the feeling bad when you go.” for emergency treatment,” in a communicated Published Wednesday.

The same applies to the UK Health Authority (UKHSA). It says that during the period from September 4th to 10th, “alerts were issued to warn anyone who ate” at the restaurant in question. The health authority says three British nationals are among the identified patients and are currently being treated in England.

The Public Health Agency of Canada also reports three cases among its nationals. “It is possible that more will be identified among the Canadians traveling to France who ate at this restaurant, as it takes up to eight days for symptoms of botulism to appear,” she explains in one communicated Published Thursday.

Two Americans are also included in the list. “In view of the last known meal (September 9, 2023), further cases are possible,” the North American authorities also report.

Up to 8 days incubation period

A total of twelve people have been identified so far who have shown signs “clinically suggestive of food botulism”, this rare neurological disease that, in its most serious forms, can lead to paralysis of the muscles, especially the respiratory muscles, and then death. Symptoms can occur between 2 hours and 8 days after ingestion.

According to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional health authority (ARS), all identified affected people are of foreign nationality: they are Canadian, Spanish, American, German, Spanish and Irish nationals.

The deceased was a 32-year-old woman who died on the Île-de-France. She had visited the Bordeaux restaurant with her partner, who is still in intensive care. The Bordeaux public prosecutor's office decided on Friday to open an investigation into unintentional bodily harm, negligent homicide, marketing of food harmful to health and sale of corrupt or poisonous food.