Diamante – The Paola Public Prosecutor's Office is expanding its investigation into the botulism poisoning that struck 18 people in Calabria between Sunday and Tuesday, resulting in two deaths.
Nine names are now registered as suspects: among them, the street vendor who allegedly sold the contaminated sandwiches, three managers of manufacturing companies, and five doctors from two healthcare facilities in the Cosenza area.
The victims – Luigi Di Sarno, 52 years old, from Cercola (Naples), and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, from Diamante – had been hospitalized with symptoms consistent with botulism after eating sausage and turnip top sandwiches sold by a food truck in Diamante. The truck was seized.
The Prosecutor's Office, led by Domenico Fiordalisi, wants to determine whether the two patients received a timely diagnosis and treatment: for this reason, the medical records have already been seized and in-depth investigations have been ordered.
The crimes hypothesized, in various capacities, are manslaughter, personal injury through negligence, and trafficking in harmful food substances. The registration, judicial sources emphasize, is a necessary step ahead of unrepeatable investigations: autopsies and new analyses will be performed between next Tuesday and Wednesday on the van used to prepare the sandwiches.
To date, 14 people remain hospitalized at Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza: five in intensive care, three in pediatrics, and six in medical wards. One patient has been extubated and is breathing on his own, while another—after being administered botulinum antitoxin—has left intensive care for general medicine.
The Italian National Institute of Health has already confirmed the diagnosis of botulism in the first three samples analyzed, highlighting that the timely administration of the antitoxin likely prevented a more serious outcome.
According to health authorities, the outbreak now appears to be easing. Experts note that Italy holds the highest number of botulism cases in Europe, often linked to artisanal oil-preserved vegetables, particularly broccoli and broccoli rabe.
"These products, if not treated properly, maintain a non-acidic pH, an ideal environment for the toxin to proliferate," explains Enrico Di Rosa, president of the Italian Society of Hygiene. "The industry can resort to high-pressure and heat pasteurization, but at home, knowledge and rigorous procedures are required."
Chronology of the botulism case in Calabria
Sunday 3 – Tuesday 5 August
In Diamante (CS), during a local event, 18 people ate sandwiches with sausage and turnip tops sold by a street vendor.
Between 24 and 48 hours later
The first symptoms appear: difficulty breathing, visual disturbances, and muscle weakness. The first people are admitted to local hospitals.
Wednesday August 6
Two patients—Luigi Di Sarno, 52, and Tamara D'Acunto, 45—died. The food truck was seized by the Paola Prosecutor's Office.
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health) receives the first samples for analysis.
Thursday August 7th
The diagnosis of botulism was confirmed in the first three patients. The Ministry requested and sent botulinum antitoxin for the hospitalized patients.
Friday August 8th
The Prosecutor's Office is seizing the medical records of the two victims to investigate any delays in diagnosis. The number of hospitalized patients has risen to 16, 14 of whom are in serious condition at the Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza.
Saturday August 9th
The investigation is expanding: nine suspects are under investigation, including the street vendor, three managers of the manufacturing companies, and five doctors. Alleged crimes: manslaughter, negligent bodily harm, and trafficking in harmful foods.
Sunday August 10st
One patient in intensive care has been extubated, and another has been transferred to the medical ward. The outbreak appears to be easing. Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
(Pictured are the two victims: Luigi Di Sarno, 52, from Cercola (Naples), and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, from Diamante.)
In short
Diamante – The Paola Public Prosecutor's Office is expanding its investigation into the botulism poisoning that struck 18 people in Calabria between Sunday and Tuesday, resulting in two deaths.
- Nine names are now registered in the register of suspects: among them, the street vendor who allegedly sold the contaminated sandwiches, three responsible…
- The victims—Luigi Di Sarno, 52, from Cercola (Naples), and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, from Diamante—were…
- The Prosecutor's Office, led by Domenico Fiordalisi, wants to determine whether the two patients received a timely diagnosis and treatment: for…
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
Diamante – The Paola Public Prosecutor's Office is expanding its investigation into the botulism poisoning that struck 18 people in Calabria between Sunday and Tuesday, resulting in two deaths.
Why is this news relevant?
Nine names are now registered in the register of suspects: among them, the street vendor who allegedly sold the contaminated sandwiches, three responsible…
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
The victims—Luigi Di Sarno, 52, from Cercola (Naples), and Tamara D'Acunto, 45, from Diamante—had been hospitalized with symptoms…
The article about the botulism investigation in Calabria is very alarming. The situation is serious, especially for the victims and their families. It is important that thorough investigations be conducted to prevent similar incidents in the future.
I'm a food technologist and run a food safety consultancy firm. I also know the area around Diamante very well, I visited only 2 weeks ago. The risk of botulism poisoning with home bottled or artisan made vegetables such as were used here is well known in the food industry. The organism responsible, Clostridium botulinum, occurs in nature and can be found in soil, so vegetables may be expected to contain it. Clostridia are “obligate anaerobes” meaning that they only grow in the absence of oxygen. Bottling vegetables in olive oil, as has been done here and throughout Europe for centuries, excludes air and provides ideal conditions for the organism to grow. It then produces a toxin, as has happened here. The control for this is to lower the pH of the product to