A number of British and Irish nationals are among those receiving hospital treatment for botulism after eating sardines in a French restaurant.
A 32-year-old woman has died and several others are being treated after the outbreak of the rare food-borne illness in Bordeaux.
It has been reported that the woman is the wife of an Irish national.
Santé publique France, the country’s public health agency, said the homemade sardines had been stored by the owner of Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in the French city.
The Irish Embassy in Paris urged citizens who ate at the restaurant and have symptoms to consult a doctor “immediately”.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had been “notified of a small number of British nationals who ate at the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in Bordeaux between 4 and 10 of September”.
“Individuals who have been identified by the French authorities and have returned to the UK are receiving medical attention.”
The statement added there “may be more people now in the UK who ate at the Bordeaux restaurant whom the French authorities have not been able to trace”.
Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) said it was aware of a “small number” of Irish citizens who had been affected and were receiving treatment in France.
Both health agencies urged anyone who had visited the restaurant between 4 and 10 September and now feels unwell to seek urgent medical care.
According to the NHS, botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition, external caused by toxins produced by bacteria which often appear when food is improperly preserved.
These toxins then attack the nervous system, and can cause paralysis. This can then spread to the muscles that control breathing.
It has an incubation period ranging from a few hours to a few days, and can be fatal in five to 10% of cases if not treated properly.
Fans in city
Bordeaux is playing host for some Rugby World Cup games, with thousands of Irish fans present in the city for the team’s match against Romania on 9 September.
Speaking to news agency AFP, a doctor at the Pellegrin hospital in the French city said among patients being treated were Irish, American and Canadian nationals.
Benjamin Clouzeau added a German national and a Barcelona resident had travelled home to receive treatment for the disease.
Five of the 12 patients being treated were on respiratory support as of Wednesday morning.
What are the symptoms of botulism?
Botulism is a serious condition and treatment is more effective the earlier it is started.
Those who ate in the restaurant at the centre of the outbreak and are experiencing symptoms are being urged to seek medical attention.
Some symptoms can include:
- abdominal pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- dropping eyelids
- blurred or double vision
- difficulty swallowing
- slurred speech
- breathing difficulties
There is usually no fever associated with the disease.
Source : bbc