Purpose: Two cases of foodborne botulism occurred in 2013 and 2014 associated with the consumption of home-preserved turnip tops in oil, typical canned food prepared in the south of Italy, were described.
Methods: Both cases involved young students who arrived at the hospital with typical symptoms of foodborne botulism and referred the consumption of home-canned vegetables in oil. In the first case, analyses from serum, stool, and leftover food were forwarded to the National Reference Centre for Botulism and other cans to the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Turin (IZSTO). In the second case, serum, stool swab, gut wash and leftover food was analyzed by IZSTO. Multiplex Real-time PCR assay for toxins gene, mouse bioassay for toxins and classical microbiological culture were performed.
Results: In the first case, type B toxin was detected in serum by mouse test; stool sample was negative for toxins and Clostridium strains and leftover food was positive for type B toxin gene. C. botulinum type B strain was isolated from food and type B toxin and its gene was detected. Moreover, the mouse bioassay confirmed these data. In the second case, serum was positive for type B toxin; gut wash and rectal swab were positive for type B toxin gene and Clostridium isolates; the leftover food was positive for type B toxin, its gene and Clostridium strains. Moreover, the mouse bioassay confirmed these data.
Significance: Common features of both cases were that patients from the south of Italy moved to the north for studying and received home-preserved food from their mothers. For that reason, risk communication measures are important to reduce or avoid number of cases.