AN IRISH person is among eight people in hospital following an outbreak of botulism in France which has killed one woman.
Those hospitalised are largely tourists, according to local reports, while the 32-year-old woman who died was from Paris.
They are believed to have contracted the rare but life-threatening disease after eating sardines at the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in Bordeaux.
In a statement, Public Health France confirmed "10 cases of botulism, including 8 hospitalised and 1 death" had been recorded so far.
“The people concerned all frequented the same restaurant-bar in Bordeaux, the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar, over the last week," they state.
“The suspected foods are at this stage canned sardines in oil homemade by the restaurateur and served between September 4 and 10, 2023 in this Bordeaux restaurant," they added.
Thousands of Irish people were in the French city over the weekend to see Ireland defeat Romania in their first Rugby World Cup match.
This week Ireland's Health Services Executive (HSE) has urged anyone who visited the restaurant and is feeling unwell to “seek medical care immediately”.
“French authorities are investigating an outbreak of botulism linked to a restaurant in Bordeaux,” they state.
“If you visited the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar (3 Rue Emile Duployé, 33000 Bordeaux) between Monday 4 and Sunday September 10, 2023, and feel unwell please seek medical care immediately.”
In a statement issued yesterday, the Irish Embassy in Paris repeated the warning.
“The Embassy is aware of a botulism outbreak linked to a wine bar in Bordeaux,” they stated.
“We advise Irish citizens who ate in Tchin Tchin Wine Bar between September 4th and 10th to immediately consult a doctor if experiencing any symptoms.”
The Embassy is aware of a botulism outbreak linked to a wine bar in Bordeaux.
We advise Irish citizens who ate in Tchin Tchin Wine Bar between September 4th and 10th to immediately consult a doctor if experiencing any symptoms.
— Irish Embassy Paris (@IrlEmbParis) September 13, 2023
Botulism is a disease which affects the nervous system and can result in paralysis.
It can be caused by consuming a toxin produced by bacteria that grows in foods which have not been canned, preserved or cooked properly.
It is treatable, but five to 10 per cent of cases are fatal.
The incubation period for the disease can range from a few hours to a few days.
Symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, blurred vision and slurred speech.
