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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nFive people are receiving emergency medical care in France for suspected botulism linked to eating pesto. <\/p>\n
According to authorities in the Indre-et-Loire department in west-central France, a locally made brand of wild garlic sauce may have been contaminated with a dangerous toxin that can attack the nerves. <\/p>\n
Cases like this are rare but potentially fatal, and can happen if homemade foods have been improperly preserved. <\/p>\n
The French government issued an immediate recall of the product and has sent samples to a lab for analysis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Authorities were trying to locate some 600 containers with the same “O P’tits Oignons” sauce before they are eaten, say officials.<\/p>\n
The sauce is usually sold during local festivities or fairs.<\/p>\n
The five patients are on respirators but conscious, spokesperson Patrice Latron told reporters. <\/p>\n
“People who bought the same sauce must throw it out, destroy it,” Latron said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What is botulism?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nBotulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins made by clostridium botulinum bacteria.<\/p>\n
These bacteria and its spores can live in soil, and are sometimes found on the surface of fruits, vegetables and herbs. <\/p>\n
While the spores are generally harmless, they can grow into the bacteria that make the risky neurotoxins.<\/p>\n
The neurotoxin is among the most toxic substances known – even tiny amounts can cause illness or death. <\/p>\n
They attack the nervous system, and can cause paralysis. This can spread to the muscles that control breathing and can be fatal in five to 10% of cases if not treated properly.<\/p>\n
There is an antitoxin that doctors can give. <\/p>\n
Botulism illnesses have been linked to foods such as homemade pickles and garlic in oil. <\/p>\n
Supermarket products undergo rigorous manufacturing processes to avoid contamination in preserved foods.<\/p>\n
That bacteria is also used to make Botox – shots used by the cosmetic industry to manage wrinkles and frown lines. <\/p>\n
Botox has been purified though, so the toxin is controlled. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What foods can cause botulism?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe NHS advises people not to eat food from “bulging or damaged cans”, and to avoid eating off-smelling preserved foods, or those stored at the incorrect temperature or which are out-of-date.<\/p>\n
People who make their own preserves should be careful. The spores can grow under low-oxygen conditions, in bottles of oil, for example. <\/p>\n
Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins made by clostridium botulinum bacteria.<\/p>\n
These bacteria and its spores can live in soil, and are sometimes found on the surface of fruits, vegetables and herbs. <\/p>\n
While the spores are generally harmless, they can grow into the bacteria that make the risky neurotoxins.<\/p>\n
The neurotoxin is among the most toxic substances known – even tiny amounts can cause illness or death. <\/p>\n
They attack the nervous system, and can cause paralysis. This can spread to the muscles that control breathing and can be fatal in five to 10% of cases if not treated properly.<\/p>\n
There is an antitoxin that doctors can give. <\/p>\n
Botulism illnesses have been linked to foods such as homemade pickles and garlic in oil. <\/p>\n
Supermarket products undergo rigorous manufacturing processes to avoid contamination in preserved foods.<\/p>\n
That bacteria is also used to make Botox – shots used by the cosmetic industry to manage wrinkles and frown lines. <\/p>\n
Botox has been purified though, so the toxin is controlled. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What foods can cause botulism?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe NHS advises people not to eat food from “bulging or damaged cans”, and to avoid eating off-smelling preserved foods, or those stored at the incorrect temperature or which are out-of-date.<\/p>\n
People who make their own preserves should be careful. The spores can grow under low-oxygen conditions, in bottles of oil, for example. <\/p>\n
The NHS advises people not to eat food from “bulging or damaged cans”, and to avoid eating off-smelling preserved foods, or those stored at the incorrect temperature or which are out-of-date.<\/p>\n
People who make their own preserves should be careful. The spores can grow under low-oxygen conditions, in bottles of oil, for example. <\/p>\n