Respiratory assistance, after-effects... Four botulism patients still in intensive care eight months after contamination

Eight months after being infected with botulism at a birthday party in September, four of the five people who contracted the bacteria are still in intensive care, although their general condition is "encouraging," while the investigation continues.

"The very good news is that of the five people affected, one has already been discharged from the ward. The other good news is that the condition of the other four has also improved over time: the patients are still hospitalized in intensive care, but their general condition is improving," said Pierre-François Dequin, an intensive care physician at the Tours University Hospital.

In September, five thirty-somethings presented 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.

"Today, while it is 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 will continue to make progress in the right direction," he hopes.

"But each of them is aware of the progress that remains to be made," says Pierre-François Dequin. Once they leave the intensive care unit, a long "rehabilitation phase" awaits them, "initially in a center."

The idea is that they can then return home as soon as possible to continue their physiotherapy and restart muscles that have been completely, or almost completely, at a standstill since the start of their hospitalization.

There may also be risks of post-resuscitation syndrome with "sleep disturbances or anxiety," 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 against his company" at the origin of the pots of pesto, indicated the public prosecutor of Tours Catherine Sorita-Minard.

The offence of "involuntary injuries with total incapacity for work of more than three months through a manifestly deliberate breach of an obligation 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. The latter did not wish to comment.

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 advances in food safety," according to Professor Dequin, botulism remains "a very serious" and "vigorously dangerous" disease.

In September 2023, sixteen customers, including a woman who died, were identified as "suspected cases of botulism" after eating homemade canned sardines at a tourist restaurant in central Bordeaux.