BOTULISM - USA (06): (OHIO) CHURCH DINNER, FATAL
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Fairfield Medical Center said the person who died from suspected botulism after eating at a Sunday lunch at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church was a 54 year old woman. The Ohio Department of Health says there are now 18 suspected cases of botulism from the church picnic and that the death toll remains at 1. That is down from the 24 sickened people officials announced earlier in the day.
ODH spokeswoman Cassie Bala said there are no confirmed cases of botulism and that all the cases are suspected. "We're pretty sure it's botulism," FMC's Dr Andrew Murry said. "But until all the testing comes back, it's presumed botulism." Bala said another 21 people who were at the lunch have come forward and are under observation. However, they are not exhibiting any symptoms consistent with botulism and are not hospitalized.
ODH spokesman Russ Kennedy said all area hospitals that are treating patients have received doses of the antitoxin needed to treat the victims and reduce their recovery time. Murry said even if the deceased woman had been treated with the antitoxin, which is given intravenously, it probably would not have worked because she was so critically ill.
The Fairfield County Department of Health is trying to find the source of the outbreak. "We've been interviewing patients and family members who were at the event," spokeswoman Jennifer Valentine said. "We're trying to narrow down the sources of the food and send samples our for testing. There are about 20 things on the list we're looking at." She said it's hard to say how long the investigation may take.
On Tuesday, Murry said more deaths are possible and did not back off from that statement Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015. "These people are really ill, and the care is supportive," he said. "And any time somebody has to be on a ventilator for that long a period of time, it's possible they could do badly." Even so, Murry said botulism deaths are rare, taking place in only 3-5 per cent of botulism cases.
There were about 50-60 people at the picnic. Pastor Bill Pitts, on Tue 21 Apr 2015, said the lunch was like any other at the church.
[byline: Jeff Barron]
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