Church Potluck Meal Leaves 1 Dead, 23 Sick Following Botulism Outbreak
What started out as a simple potluck at a church event in Ohio, ended up with one person dead and 23 sick following a suspected botulism outbreak, according to reports.
Doctors and officials said at a news conference Wednesday that health workers are interviewing those who attended the Sunday potluck at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster to determine what might have caused the outbreak, according to ABC 22 News.
Public Health Dayton & Montgomery County staff say Botulism can come from food that is canned at home if not done properly.
"I would say half of us probably do our own canning," said Kay Garey before choir practice at Parkview United Methodist Church in Miamisburg.
Garey said in her 45 years with the church, she's attended potlucks regularly, with other members who also can their own foods.
Between 50 to 60 people attended lunch on Sunday at the Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, around 30 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, Jennifer Valentine, a spokeswoman for the Fairfield Department of Health told Reuters. She said that most people began getting sick on Tuesday.
Botulism is a rare, but serious paralytic illness and is caused by a nerve toxin produced by a bacterium that is sometimes linked to contaminated food. Symptoms of botulism usually begin within 36 hours of eating contaminated food. It can cause paralysis, double vision, difficulty swallowing, and respiratory failure, CNN reports.
The hospital urges people who were at the potluck to seek medical help immediately, and an emergency hotline is also open for questions at 740-687-8053, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
