Botulism in garlic pesto: four people still in intensive care eight months after contamination

In September, five thirty-somethings presented themselves to the emergency room after eating cans of wild garlic pesto from the brand "O Ptits Oignons" during a birthday party in Indre-et-Loire. They were hospitalized in serious condition.

Tests quickly confirmed the presence of the botulism bacteria.

Respiratory assistance

"Today, while it's still too early to anticipate possible after-effects," all "can measure the progress made," according to Professor Dequin. The four people still hospitalized "can speak perfectly." "There are one or two patients who still require a little respiratory assistance at night, but we'll continue to make progress in the right direction," he hopes. "But each of them is aware of the progress that remains to be made," Pierre-François Dequin adds.

Once they leave the intensive care unit, a long "rehabilitation phase" awaits them, "first in a center." The idea is "that they can then return home as soon as possible, to continue physiotherapy" on their own and restart muscles that have been completely, or almost completely, at a standstill since the beginning of their hospitalization.

Risks of post-resuscitation syndrome with "sleep disorders or anxiety" may also occur, but "the evolution of their overall condition remains very encouraging," according to Professor Dequin.

To cope, "families have been very present, even though they've experienced very difficult times," he says. "Their visits are essential: they remind patients that they have a life elsewhere and that their time here is just a parenthesis."

Regarding the judicial aspect, "the investigation is underway as part of the judicial inquiry opened on September 30, 2024, against the individual and their company" behind the jars of pesto, indicated the Tours public prosecutor, Catherine Sorita-Minard. The offense of "unintentional injuries with total incapacity for work exceeding three months through a manifestly deliberate violation of a duty of prudence or safety" had been retained.

"There have been no formal indictments in this case yet. Several of the victims have filed civil suits and have access to the case file," added Ms. Sorita-Minard, specifying that investigations are continuing and focus in particular on "the equipment used for sterilization" and the manufacturer of the canned food.

For example, it remains to be determined whether this contamination occurred after "a deliberate violation of a particular obligation of prudence or safety imposed by law" or, on the contrary, after clumsiness or negligence, for example, on the part of the producer.

Botulism is a rare and serious neurological condition, fatal in 5 to 10% of cases, caused by a very powerful toxin produced by a bacterium that thrives in poorly preserved food due to insufficient sterilization.

"Very rare", notably "thanks to progress in food safety" according to Professor Dequin, botulism remains "a very serious" and "vigorously dangerous" disease.