Most of the victims are German, American and Canadian tourists. Everyone ate canned sardines prepared by the restaurateur at the Tchin Tchin wine bar in downtown Bordeaux. “I confess that I had a batch of sterilized sardines and when I opened it I had to throw away some that had a strong smell. Others looked good and were served to the customer,” the restaurateur confessed to the French publication Sud-Ouest. .
The French Directorate General of Health (DGS) identified foodborne botulism among the victims. This rare and serious neurological disease can develop due to the consumption of “canned foods that have not gone through an extensive sterilization process: sausages and preserves of family or artisanal origin,” indicated the Regional Health Agency of New Aquitaine. “People who have visited this Bordeaux establishment are asked to be extremely alert and seek advice if they develop symptoms,” officials warned.
Botulism occurs several days after eating contaminated food. Its symptoms are indigestion, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and muscle paralysis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), botulism can be fatal in 5 to 10 percent of cases. The mortality rate is especially high among people who do not receive early diagnosis.
