A potluck lunch at an Ohio church has turned into a health disaster due to a suspected outbreak of botulism. One woman has died and 23 others have become sick.
The luncheon had been held on Sunday at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, OH. People started getting sick on Tuesday and were taken to area hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent supplies of botulism antitoxin to the hospitals in Fairfield County for use in people showing symptoms of botulism poisoning.
Between 50 and 60 people attended the church dinner and all who attended are being contacted to check for symptoms of botulism. Symptoms include drooping eyelids, blurred vision, problems with swallowing, and shortness of breath. Botulism can cause death by paralyzing the muscles needed for breathing.
Botulism poisoning is caused by the toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which can contaminate food. Home canned foods that are low in acid and that have not been properly processed can become contaminated with the bacteria and its toxin. Because C. botulinum is an anaerobic bacteria, it thrives in an airless environment like a canning jar.
Health officials are working to find the source of the toxin. They are going through trash at the church to find samples of the food served. The potluck meal is known to have included some homemade canned food items and authorities are collecting sample of these foods.
Although the outbreak has not been confirmed to be botulism, health officials are fairly certain that this is what has occurred from the symptoms seen.
Botulism is not contagious and cannot spread. There are about 145 cases of botulism in the United States each year. Most cases are food-borne, but the most common form of botulism occurs in infants who have ingested C. botulinum spores. The spores colonize an infant's intestines and produce toxin, which then causes paralysis. This type of botulism does not occur in older children and adults.