Lancaster, Ohio Botulism Outbreak (Photo : REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
A 55-year-old woman has died and dozens of other people, who attended the same Lancaster church potluck dinner that she did, have been hospitalized after becoming infected with botulism.
Botulism is a rare but severe illness caused by consuming contaminated food. The symptoms of botulism, which usually become kick-in 36 hours after ingesting contaminated foods, include double vision, paralysis, difficulty swallowing and respiratory failure. Botulism is not contagious.
The spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health Russ Kennedy has revealed that the infected people had all attended a potluck dinner at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster.
According to CNN, as many as 60 people ate the contaminated food, and Kennedy says 21 people are under observation in the hospital as a precaution. The victims reportedly include a nine-year-old child and an 87-year-old. At least 10 patients were hospitalized in Columbus; five are reported to be in critical condition.
A resident of Rushville, Kennetha "Kim" Shaw, has been identified as the victim who died following the potluck dinner, according to USA Today.
"In this day and age, botulism from food is fairly are. Generally it's canned foods," said Dr. Andrew Murry of Fairfield Medical Center. "The fatality rate is usually fairly low."
The Fairfield County Health Department is leading an investigation in to the incident and is also attempting to identify and isolate the contaminated foods.
Jennifer Valentine, the spokeswoman for a county health department, said officials are trying to locate leftovers from the potluck dinner.
During a press conference on Wednesday, officials stressed that botulism is not contagious; it would not spread and put the rest of the community in danger.
"It is not a threat to our patients, visitors or staff or community at large," Murry said."Unless you ate the food at the potluck meeting, you are not in danger."
