Fatal poisoning in Italy: Death toll rises to two from sandwich with contaminated broccoli

Luigi Di Sarno, a 52-year-old man from Cercola, is suspected to have consumed broccoli from a sandwich bought at a food truck in Diamante (Cosenza).

The death of a 45-year-old woman is also under investigation. Nine other people have been hospitalized.

This tragedy happened within a few hours in Calabria but is now shaking the national agro-food supply chain.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting inspections across Italy on a commercial product: according to sources, jars of broccoli in oil are suspected to be the source of a serious botulism case reported recently in the Cosenza area.

The toll is heavy. According to preliminary findings by investigators, there may be two victims.

Besides Luigi Di Sarno, a street artist from Cercola in the province of Naples, who spent several days in Diamante, Calabria, selling his paintings at local markets, the investigation is also ongoing into the death of a 45-year-old woman from Praia a Mare, in the Cosenza area, who passed away a few days ago.

Both are suspected to have consumed a sandwich from a food truck, believed to contain contaminated broccoli.

There is another connection between the two cases: both reportedly visited a clinic in Belvedere Marittimo, where doctors may have failed to identify the cause of their illness.

At the private clinic, Di Sarno was advised to seek medical help at a more specialized facility. He then decided to return to Campania.

However, during the journey, his condition worsened. A medical air ambulance intervened, but the 52-year-old died before reaching the Lagonegro hospital.

The woman also fell ill after eating food from the same vendor. She went to the clinic in Belvedere Marittimo but did not undergo any surgical intervention.

She died a few days ago, and her funeral was held yesterday. Therefore, the Prosecutor’s Office will order the exhumation of her body for an autopsy.

According to reports, her brother, given the recent developments in the food poisoning cases, suspects the cause of his sister’s death and has decided to take legal action.

The Prosecutor’s Office, led by Domenico Fiordalisi, has opened an investigation on suspicion of the criminal acts of “manslaughter as a consequence of another crime” and “sale of harmful food.”

The food truck vendor suspected of selling the contaminated product is under investigation, while the companies believed to have supplied the food used in preparing the sold products are also being probed.

Prosecutors may also examine any medical responsibility related to the treatment of the cases, including procedures followed at the clinic where Di Sarno and the woman initially sought help.

The investigation now aims to locate and remove all packaging of the suspected product from the market to prevent further risk to consumers.

“The investigations,” writes the Prosecutor’s Office led by Domenico Fiordalisi, “have so far confirmed that the victims and infected individuals consumed potentially contaminated food purchased from a street vendor operating in the Diamante area. By order of Deputy Prosecutor Maria Porcelli, the van used for the street sales has been seized.”

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, “initial findings show that the vehicle was parked under the sun throughout the day, a condition that may have favored the spread of botulinum toxin in the food products, especially if they were not properly stored.”

Investigators emphasize that “charges are at an early stage and will undergo further technical and scientific verifications, supported by NAS (Food Safety Unit) and ASP (Public Health Authority). Judicial authorities reserve the right to make further decisions based on microbiological analysis results.”

“It should be noted,” the statement continues, “that in some cases, the clinical condition worsened due to the lack of an immediate diagnosis, as symptoms were not promptly identified as typical of botulinum toxin poisoning, thus delaying the start of specific treatment.” The Public Prosecutor’s Office declares it “will continue to monitor the development of this case with maximum attention, being aware of its importance for public health and food safety.”

“Any consumer who purchased food from street vendors in the Diamante area in the days prior to the onset of symptoms is encouraged to immediately contact local health authorities,” the statement concludes.

Following this dramatic event, the Calabria Regional Department of Health and Welfare declared that “an emergency procedure has been activated as foreseen in such cases, which includes the immediate notification of the Poison Control Center in Pavia, the only national center for managing botulism cases.”

“No region or hospital in the country,” the statement adds, “is authorized to keep antitoxin on site. This serum is exclusively available through the Ministry of Health, which stores it securely and distributes it only via the Poison Control Center in Lombardy.”

The first two bottles, used for the initial patients, were sent from the Military Pharmacy in Taranto. As cases increased, further supplies became necessary. “Through cooperation between Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza, the Ministry of Health, and the National Institute of Health,” explains the Department, “seven additional antitoxin bottles were sent to be kept as a reserve in the hospital’s intensive care unit.”

An extraordinary mission was organized yesterday: the Calabria Region, through Azienda Zero, secured an emergency 118 flight to San Camillo Hospital in Rome, where additional antitoxin bottles were concentrated. “Currently,” the statement concludes, “Annunziata Hospital has a reserve of antitoxin as an extraordinary measure due to the emergency situation, although standard practice does not foresee keeping this medicine directly in hospitals.”

Case in Cagliari: A 38-year-old woman dies

The case in the Cosenza area comes just days after another serious botulism poisoning incident in Sardinia. There, investigators are probing a guacamole sauce used during Fiesta Latina, an event held from July 22 to 25 in Monserrato, in the metropolitan area of Cagliari, and later in Tortolì, in the Ogliastra region.

Eight people were hospitalized with symptoms consistent with botulism poisoning. A 38-year-old woman, Roberta Pitzalis, died today. The only common factor among the patients was their attendance at the food festival. Following the initial cases, the event was immediately suspended.

These two separate incidents may be linked by the presence of *Clostridium botulinum*, the bacterium responsible for the dangerous neurotoxin. Investigations continue in multiple directions, but there is concern that panic could spread regarding food safety.

“KORÇA BOOM”