What are the symptoms of the disease?

Health authorities suspect cases of botulism linked to the ingestion of wild garlic pesto. This is an “exceptional” disease whose severity is due to paralysis, explained a specialist in intensive care medicine-resuscitation on Wednesday on franceinfo.

Five people are still hospitalized in intensive care in Tours after having consumed artisanal cans of wild garlic pesto from the brand “Ô p’tits Oignon”. The health authorities suspect cases of botulism and are trying to trace the 600 jars sold. A disease “exceptional”, “whose seriousness is due to paralysis”explains Bertrand Guidet, member of the Academy of Medicine and former head of the intensive care unit at Saint-Antoine hospital in Paris, guest of franceinfo on Wednesday September 11.

franceinfo: What is botulism?

Bertrand Guidet: This is a rather exceptional disease. It is caused by foods of artisanal or semi-artisanal production. It is a disease whose seriousness is due to paralysis.

“At first, it presents as a common infection with digestive problems and fatigue. And then quickly, dry mouth sets in and possibly difficulty swallowing.”

Bertrand Guidet, specialist in intensive care medicine

on franceinfo

And then especially visual disturbances, then paralysis that can spread to the whole body and affect the respiratory muscles. This is what brings patients to intensive care in the most serious forms. It is not a contagious disease and it is not a disease that provides immunity. Someone who has had botulism can have it again, a few years later. It is not a contagious disease and it is not a disease that provides immunity. Someone who has had botulism can have it again, a few years later.

Why should we return the jars and not destroy them?

They must be reported, they must be tested to find out whether or not they are carriers of the toxin. I would like to remind you that botulism is a notifiable disease because it triggers an investigation to see what the source of testing for these toxins is. It could be at home where we had a case in intensive care a few years ago. It was a young man who made his own food, his own ham. An investigation was carried out at his home and the toxin was indeed found in the food that was at his home.

How do you know if the toxin is present?

These toxins are odorless, colorless. We can be alerted by the problem of grouped cases. And then especially by the appearance of these visual disturbances before reaching the other muscles. Basically, it is a descending paralysis, it starts at the level of the head and then it goes down. So it is quite, quite evocative. You have dilated pupils, you have an accommodation disorder, you see double.