Botulism-tainted juice paralyzes two in Canada
Pastor Dale Morgan
Botulism-tainted juice paralyzes two in Canada*
Oct 11, 2006 6:53 PM ET
By Jonathan Spicer
TORONTO (Reuters) - Two people are paralyzed after drinking
botulism-contaminated carrot juice, some of which was still found on
store shelves 10 days after a Canada-wide recall, Toronto health
officials said on Tuesday.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warned consumers on September 30 not
to drink Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice, Earthbound Farm Organic
Carrot Juice and President's Choice Organics 100% Pure Carrot Juice, all
of U.S. origin, "due to botulism concerns".
Canadian distributors had immediately recalled the contaminated
products. But as of Monday night, Toronto officials found the juice in
11 of 788 stores checked during a four-day blitz, said Rishma Govani,
spokeswoman for Toronto Public Health.
The two victims remain in hospital in serious condition, Govani said.
Juice remaining in their carrot juice bottles was found to contain the
botulism toxin.
Although contaminated products were distributed across the country,
cases of the toxin have only been confirmed in Toronto.
"Botulism is a rare food poisoning but with very serious consequences
... I don't recall any such poisoning actually happening (in Canada)
from a commercially-prepared food," said Davendra Sharma, officer of
food safety and recall at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Ottawa.
Botulism can cause nausea, fatigue, double-vision, paralysis and
respiratory failure. In severe cases, the toxin can be fatal.
Botulism can be treated with an antitoxin to prevent further paralysis,
but any paralysis that has already occurred cannot be medically reversed.
Toronto has seen only six cases since 1995, said Dr. Barbara Yaffe of
Toronto Public Health.
The bacteria is "ubiquitous in soil around the world," Yaffe said, and
needs only the right conditions to attach itself to vegetables such as
carrots.
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning
linking four cases of botulism to carrot juice.
The U.S. cases first appeared in September, with one woman in Florida
suffering paralysis after drinking the juice.
Last week, more than 30 people in Ontario fell ill after eating lettuce
tainted with the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria.