Second death recorded in Italy’s broccoli sandwich botulism outbreak

Italy has recorded a second death in a botulism outbreak linked to a commercially produced broccoli and sausage sandwich, prompting a nationwide recall and a widening criminal investigation.

The latest victim, identified as 45-year-old Tamara D’Acunto, died days after 52-year-old artist and musician Luigi Di Sarno passed away from the same suspected cause.

Both had purchased the panini from a food truck in Diamante, Calabria.

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Authorities say more than a dozen others, including two teenagers, have been hospitalised with symptoms consistent with botulism poisoning.

Nine people are under investigation, among them the food truck owner, three employees of the sandwich’s manufacturing company, and five doctors accused of failing to act swiftly to save victims.

The outbreak has been traced to a filling of grilled sausages and “cime di rapa,” a leafy vegetable similar to broccoli.

Officials have ordered postmortem examinations and confirmed that the seized products are undergoing laboratory tests.

Botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness caused by Clostridium botulinum toxins, can lead to paralysis, respiratory failure, and death if untreated.

The tragedy comes just weeks after a separate botulism incident in Sardinia claimed one life and hospitalised seven others after people consumed contaminated guacamole at a festival.

Italian health authorities say emergency protocols have been activated to ensure rapid treatment and prevent further casualties.

(Daily Mail)