Holiday warning as more cases of deadly food bug that causes paralysis detected in Spain
BRITS heading to Spain this summer have been warned of a killer food bug found in popular local dish.
Health officials have linked several botulism illnesses in popular tourist hotspots to supermarket omelettes.
It comes as two new cases of the bug have been discovered in Norway, bringing the number of people affected to 11.
The Norwegians infected with botulism had stayed in Barcelona between July 10 and 23, according to the Food Safety News.
The first case, a 38-year-old man, required hospitalisation and treatment.
While the other, a 38-year-old woman, recovered at home.
Five confirmed and four probable cases have been identified as of July 24 2023.
Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal poisoning that is caused by eating foods that have been contaminated with the botulinum toxin.
These toxins attack the nervous system and can lead to paralysis, which spreads down the body from the head to the lungs causing death.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) said infections occurred in different regions of the country, including Galicia, Asturias, Valencia, Madrid and Andalusia, suggested infected food is widespread.
“In all cases there was a history of having consumed precooked potato omelettes, packaged and purchased in different supermarkets from different brands,” it said.
Grupo Empresarial Palacios Alimentación – who make omelettes connected to the infections – recalled their product and halted production.
The company has since restarted production after approval from health authorities.
Experts believed infected products could have also been distributed to France , Andorra and Portugal.
Spanish officials have reminded consumers of the importance, especially in summer due to the heat, of preserving foods properly.
Packaged Spanish omelette products should be kept refrigerated, they said.
What are the symptoms of botulism?
It can take anywhere between a few hours or several days for symptoms of botulism to develop.
Initial symptoms include:
- Feeling sick
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
If the condition has developed further into paralysis, the symptoms include:
- Drooping eyelids
- Blurred or double vision
- Facial muscle weakness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Slurred speech
- Breathing difficulties
- In babies: a weak cry, difficulty feeding and a floppy head, neck and limbs
Botulism is a serious condition which requires immediate medical attention.
It can cause death by paralysing the muscles people use to breathe.
If you think you or someone else is affected, call 999 or go straight to A&E.
Treatment will not cure any paralysis which has already taken place, but it will stop it getting worse.
In most cases, paralysis which occurred before treatment will gradually get improve over the following weeks or months.