Story highlights The youngest patient is 9 years old; the oldest is 87

CDC sent 50 vials of antitoxin to patients, spokesman says

Symptoms include paralysis, double vision, difficulty swallowing and respiratory failure

(CNN) A 54-year-old woman has died and others are hospitalized after being poisoned with botulism at a church potluck dinner in central Ohio, health officials said Wednesday.

Botulism is rarely fatal. Its symptoms typically begin within 36 hours of consuming contaminated food. It can cause paralysis, double vision, difficulty swallowing and respiratory failure.

All those sickened attended the potluck Sunday at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, about 30 miles southeast of Columbus, said Ohio Department of Health spokesman Russ Kennedy. As many as 60 people reportedly ate.

Down from an earlier estimate, Kennedy said there were 18 suspected cases, including the woman who died. The youngest patient is 9 years old; the oldest is 87. Twenty-one people are under hospital observation as a precaution, the spokesman said.

Five patients are in critical condition and 10 were taken to hospitals in Columbus, according to Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster.