Family poisoned after eating wild boar

[Bishop]

Is anybody else following this story from New Zealand as it develops?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/98951757/waikato-family-poisoned-after-eating-wild-boar

 

[crosslandkelly]

Just read your post about, hope they'll recover.

 

[Tomteifi]

I am now Bish-was not aware but thanks for bringing it to our attention. Hope all those affected survive and recover unscathed. Remains to be seen as to the cause. No point in pontificating speculation.

 

[mrcharly]

Confirmed to be botulism
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/98...after-suspected-poisoning-from-wild-boar-meat

 

[Wayne]

That’s a fast reaction to the toxin. Fingers crossed they make a full recovery.

 

[santaman2000]

That’s a fast reaction to the toxin. Fingers crossed they make a full recovery.

I was thinking the same thing. Of course we're only assuming the boar was the source; it could have been something they'd eaten earlier.

 

[Nice65]

I was thinking the same thing. Of course we're only assuming the boar was the source; it could have been something they'd eaten earlier.

Like another boar maybe? I totally agree it's highly unlikely.

There's no way Botulism or Trichinella invades and overcomes the body that fast.

Trichinella (a nematode worm) has been reported in pigs and boar and been linked to this case by NZ media, but I can't see that either are candidates for the rapid poisoning that occurred. According to the report, the effects occurred within minutes.

 

[Bishop]

Update:
Family responding to botulism anti-toxin

Samples have been sent off to a specialist centre in Queensland, Australia, as there are no accredited testing centres in New Zealand.
It could take several weeks before the results are back.
In the meantime, friends and members of the trio's church are rallying around Kochummen's and Babu's two daughters, aged seven and one, and the family who arrived from India on Monday.

 

[crosslandkelly]

That's some good news.

 

[Robson Valley]

I hope they pull out of this. The neurotoxins can last for a long time.
The source could be just about anything on the table that meal, not just the boar.
Google "Clostridium botulinum food sources". Serious lesson for your own kitchen.

 

[John Fenna]

I just redid my Food Hygeine at work - makes you feel like giving up eating!



Not that I will...

 

[Lucero]

Update:
Family responding to botulism anti-toxin

Good to hear this. I hope they fully recover. That's some scary stuff.

 

[Bishop]

Update: and some good news
All three have now regained consciousness are speaking well and eating solid food.
link

 

[Janne]

Badly canned food is the usual cause of Botulism today. The food needs to be kept in an airless environment.

Wild boar meat? Fresh meat? Unusual.

 

[Robson Valley]

That's really good news. I can't believe it was the boar.
Low acid food, even badly canned garlic, will support Clostridium botulinum.
It turns out to be hard to cultivate in the lab as it needs a totally oxygen free atmosphere.
So, conditions for Cb growth are unusual.
Since the victims are speaking well, the toxin paralysis hasn't hit them.

 

[Wayne]

I was discussing this case the other day.

We couldn’t workout how the family contracted Botulism from a freshly killed pig.

It’s an unusual case.

I’m pleased they are doing well. They obviously received very good supportive care to avoid organ failure and paralysis.

 

[Jared]

Just read the NZ Food Reseach news on this, no new info http://www.nzfssrc.org.nz/node/100

This stuck out though...
"These bacteria date back to a time on Earth before the atmosphere contained oxygen."

 

[Janne]

I wonder if they did not have a condiment type Lime Chutney or similar. I have myself noticed Indian made chutneys with an internal fermentation ( lid is convex) on the supermarket shelves, still sealed from manufacturer.
Same with Maroccan Anchovies in tins.

I always notify the management as somebody can get very, very ill.

 

[lou1661]

A bit of an update.

 

[Nice65]

Interesting, thanks for posting that up. I've always though the whole thing seemed a bit fishy, but hadn't realised that 1080 poison is such a contentious issue in NZ.

Or that botulism involves paralysis and the victims in this case were convulsing very violently.