Woman dies from suspected botulism, Bassetti ‘can still kill today’

2023-11-02 13:52:35

There is suspicion of botulinum poisoning behind the death of Gerardina Corsano, a 46-year-old from Ariano Irpino (Avellino) who died in hospital, while her husband is still hospitalized. According to an initial reconstruction, the couple had dinner in a restaurant in the Avellino area on Saturday evening and both felt ill on Sunday morning. “It is strongly suspected” that the woman “died from botulinum poisoning. The husband who was with her in the pizzeria is also in serious condition. Botulinum, scientifically Clostridium botulinum, the best known of the clostridia, producers of botulinum toxins, it is the microorganism responsible for botulism, which is a neuro-paralytic disease. Even today, botulism can kill.” So on X Matteo Bassetti, director of infectious diseases at the San Martino polyclinic hospital in Genoa.

“In the case of foodborne botulism, the disease is due to the presence of botulinum toxin in food – adds Bassetti – Foodborne botulism can strike at any age and is not transmissible from person to person. Symptoms usually appear within a few hours or more a week after consuming the contaminated food: the earlier the symptoms appear, the more serious the disease. Care must be taken when preparing preserves, sauces and other homemade products.”