Six hospitalised after botulism outbreak from tinned carrots in France

Several people have been hospitalised after a botulism outbreak around the town of Cholet in the Maine-et-Loire department, western France. 

The Agence régionale de santé Pays de la Loire (Pays de la Loire Health Agency - ARS) reported that six people showed severe symptoms between July 7 and 14. 

Food-borne botulism is caused by ingesting food contaminated with toxins produced by the Clostridium botulinum, bacteria that thrive in oxygen-free environments, such as tinned and vacuum-packed food that have not been properly sterilised. 

The people hospitalised had consumed “homemade tinned carrots” according to the ARS, which stressed the product had not been commercially available. 

They said they were working to establish which other family or friends of the victims had consumed the food. 

Botulism is a rare but life-threatening neurological disease that is fatal in around 5-10% of cases.

Toxins attack the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Fatalities occur when this paralysis spreads to the respiratory muscles. 

Medical attention should be sought quickly, and some patients may require treatment in intensive care. 

"When opening a canned or jarred product, if there is any doubt - particularly an abnormal odour or colour, if the can does not make a noise when opened, or if the can is swollen - the product should be discarded and not consumed," health authorities said. 

Symptoms 

Botulism symptoms can appear anywhere from a few hours to several days after ingesting food containing the toxins. 

Symptoms can include:

• Nausea

• Being sick

• Stomach cramps

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

Eventually, paralysis can spread from the top of the body to the bottom, causing symptoms including: 

• Drooping eyelids

• Blurred vision

• Difficulty swallowing 

• Slurred speech

• Breathing difficulties 

There are three main kinds of botulism, including wound botulism (when a wound is infected with the bacteria) and infant botulism (when a baby ingests the bacteria in contaminated soil or food, such as honey). 

Past cases 

A 32-year-old woman died after an outbreak of botulism at a Bordeaux wine bar in 2023 that affected several foreign tourists. 

Read more: Tracing Bordeaux 'botulism' cases difficult as tourists affected

At least 12 other people were hospitalised in the incident, which was traced to sardines tinned by the restaurant owner. 

He was later charged with involuntary homicide over the woman's death.