A food festival in Sardinia has ended in tragedy after a toxic batch of guacamole claimed the lives of two women and left two children battling for survival in hospital.
School cook Valeria Sollai, 62, collapsed after eating the contaminated dip at the Fiesta Latina food event in Monserrato, Cagliari.
Despite spending weeks on life support, and showing signs of recovery before suffering a relapse, she tragically lost her fight for life on Monday. A post-mortem for Valeria is set to take place.
Her death comes just over a week after Roberta Pitzalis, 38, who also ate from the same deadly batch, died on August 8. A post-mortem revealed she succumbed to a lethal combination of botulism poisoning and pneumonia.
The poisonous avocado dip was served up to unsuspecting festival-goers between July 22 and July 24 – and has since been linked to a horrifying outbreak of botulism.
Two children, a boy aged 11 and a girl aged 14, remain in hospital after consuming the same guacamole.
The young girl is being treated at Monserrato Policlinico, while the boy has been airlifted to Rome’s Gemelli Policlinico, where his condition is said to be serious.
The travelling festival was on its way to Tortolì but was quickly suspended by local authorities following the outbreak.
School cook Valeria Sollai, 62, collapsed after eating the contaminated dip at the Fiesta Latina food event in Monserrato, Cagliari
Roberta Pitzalis, 38, who also ate from the same deadly batch, died on August 8
Two women died and two children were hospitalised after eating toxic guacamole (stock image)
The Cagliari Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the incident and a recall notice, published by the Ministry of Health, was reportedly issued for Metro Chef avocado pulp.
‘Following two major clusters of botulinum intoxication that occurred in recent weeks in Sardinia and Calabria, the Department of Prevention, Research and Health Emergencies of the Ministry of Health immediately activated all the health protocols,’ the health ministry said.
‘The intervention system reacted promptly, ensuring that patients had timely access to life-saving antidote treatments.’
Speaking of his cousin’s final hours, Valeria’s relative Gianni Milla said: ‘It’s absurd that someone goes out for a relaxing evening, goes to a party, eats a sandwich and ends up in the hospital.
‘She was with her sisters, they all ate the same sandwich, but only she fell ill.’
She added: ‘They were celebrating their older sister’s discharge from the hospital. A party turned into a tragedy.’
Valeria – described as a dedicated school cook who ‘gave so much for our children’ by Monserrato’s mayor Tomaso Locci – is survived by her husband Angelo Aru and her son Alessandro, a police officer in Campania.
Following the news of Valeria’s death, Locci said: ‘The news saddens us deeply. We will be present at the funeral as a community, as we were for Roberta Pitzalis, the other victim.
‘This is a loss that affects us all’.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post last month, Alessandro spoke of an unnamed patient who had been suffering ‘worsening neurological conditions’.
He also warned others about the dangers of street food, writing: ‘ I strongly advise against eating any food sold at street stalls over the next few weeks’.
The deaths have sent shockwaves through Italy, where food safety concerns are already mounting.
Earlier this month, another botulism outbreak was reported in the southern region of Calabria.
The deadly outbreak claimed two lives after festival-goers ate contaminated vegetable and sausage sandwiches from a food truck near the town of Diamante.
Tamara D’Acunto, 45, died shortly after eating a panini made with turnip tops – a vegetable similar to broccoli – last week
Luigi Di Sarno, 52, died after purchasing a broccoli and sausage sandwich from a street vendor
Tamara D’Acunto, 45, died shortly after eating the panini made with turnip tops – a vegetable similar to broccoli – last week.
Luigi Di Sarno, 52, also died after consuming a sandwich from the same seller.
At least 17 others, including two teenagers, required hospital treatment after getting food poisoning within 24 to 48 hours after eating the poisoned sandwich.
They all showed symptoms of botulism – a rare but deadly illness caused by a toxin attacking the nervous system.
The condition can cause muscle paralysis, respiratory failure and death. It is most commonly linked to improperly stored or preserved foods.
Authorities launched an investigation into the outbreak and ordered a nationwide recall of the commercially produced panini.
Nine people are being investigated by the authorities, including the owner of the food truck on the seafront in the province of Cosenza whose vehicle as been seized, The Telegraph reported.
Three employers of the company who allegedly made the sandwich are also being investigated, as well as five doctors who treated victims near the city of Cosenza.
The medics are accused of having not acting quickly enough to save the victims, after Di Sarno’s sister alleged that her brother was discharged from hospital despite still feeling sick and later died.
