DUSHANBE, January 7, 2016, Asia-Plus – Home caning incident has led to three deaths in the southern city of Kulob.
According to the Interior Ministry’s website, three members of one family died and three others became ill from botulism after eating home-pickled tomatoes and cucumbers.
Members of the family of 62-year-old Sharifamo Badarayeva reportedly contracted botulism from home-canned tomatoes and cucumbers on January 4. One of her daughters – 32-year-old Gulchehra – died at home on January 5.
The remaining members of the family, including Sharifamo Badarayeva herself, her two sons (27-year-old Rustam and 31-year-old Amrkhon), and her 9-year-old granddaughter Gulniso were hospitalized only on January 6. Sharifamo Badarayeva and her granddaughter died on the same day.
Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, trouble seeing, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakness of the arms, chest muscles, and legs.
Botulism can occur in a few different ways. The bacterial spores that cause it are common in both soil and water. They produce botulinum toxin when exposed to low oxygen levels and certain temperatures.
Foodborne botulism results from contaminated food in which C. botulinum spores have been allowed to germinate in low-oxygen conditions. This typically occurs in home-canned food substances and fermented uncooked dishes. Given that multiple people often consume food from the same source, it is common for more than a single person to be affected simultaneously. Symptoms usually appear 12–36 hours after eating, but can also appear within 2 hours to 10 days.
