1 dead, 20 ill from botulism after church potluck

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published 22 April 2015

In Ohio, one person is dead and 20 others were sickened with botulism after eating at a church potluck on Sunday, medical officials said.

Each one of the patients attended a potluck at the Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, ABC News reports. After becoming ill, they all went to the Fairfield Medical Center Emergency Department, where five were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, 10 were transported to hospitals in Columbus, and five remained in the emergency department, the medical center said.

Botulism is a paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, with symptoms including double or blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, and drooping eyelids. Usually, symptoms begin to appear 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. The Centers for Disease Control says that on average, 145 cases of botulism are reported annually in the U.S., and most outbreaks that are foodborne are caused by consuming foods that were canned at home.