A Brazilian woman, 47, was hospitalized for over a year after she fell sick allegedly after feeding pesto. Doralice Carneiro Sobreira Goes informed that she had bbought the sauce on December 31, 2021 but ate it only after a few weeks, at the end of January 2022.
She was vomiting and having difficulty breathing and doctors sent her for a computed tomography (CT) scan. A neurologist found that she was mostly paralyzed; Goes can only wiggle two of his toes when asked to move. She was quickly diagnosed with botulism, a rare disease that occurs when toxins produced by bacteria attack the body’s nerves.
Botulism is often the result of bacteria in food
According to the Mayo Clinic, botulism is caused by homemade food that is not stored properly. This can also happen when the wound is exposed to bacteria. Food poisoning causes symptoms such as dry mouth, difficulty speaking or swallowing, weakness on both sides, double vision, blurred vision, difficulty breathing, drooping eyelids, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps and numbness paralysis; botulism may be responsible for some, but not all, of these symptoms.
Although symptoms of food poisoning may not appear until 10 days after the wound is exposed to bacteria, warning signs of food poisoning usually begin within 12 to 36 hours after exposure. It is important to seek medical attention if you think you may have poisoning as it can be life-threatening.
This disease affects the patient’s ability to control muscles, so it can cause complications that take a long time to heal, including difficulty breathing and prolonged weakness. Usually, if your doctor suspects botulism, they will ask you what foods you have recently eaten.
