Authorities in Argentina are investigating two suspected cases of foodborne botulism linked to a brand of pickled wild boar.

The National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Devices (ANMAT) reported those ill are associated with eating “Escabeche de jabalí” 400-gram of the “Fatto in casa” brand with a date of July 1, 2020, produced by Norma Coatti.

A 27-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man are affected and both needed hospital treatment.

An inspection of the production plant by authorities in Cordoba found processing conditions do not guarantee that the product is safe for consumption. The site was stopped from producing and marketing such items for preventative reasons.

The manufacturing firm was asked to recall all units of pickled “Fatto in casa” branded products nationally. These include chicken, pork, Viscacha (a type of rodent), and eggplant.

ANMAT advised consumers not to eat the affected recalled products.

Botulism in Iceland

Meanwhile, a case of botulism has been confirmed in Iceland for the first time since 1983.

The Public Health Institute of Iceland (Landlaeknir) revealed an adult began experiencing symptoms on 12 January with poisoning confirmed a week later.

Local health authorities, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authrority (Matvælastofnun) and Matis, a government owned, non-profit, research company, are trying to find the source of the poisoning with no evidence as yet pointing toward food available on the market.

Botulism cases have only been reported in the country three times, first in 1949 when four people became ill after eating pickled beef, in 1981 when a four-person family fell sick, and in 1983 when a mother and child were ill after eating meats.

Common causes are home-cooked foods such as meats, fish, vegetables and fruits, which are usually canned, pickled or fermented and often vacuum-packed.

Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food. However, they can start as soon as six hours after or up to 10 days later.

It can cause symptoms including general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also occur. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

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