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A deadly botulism outbreak in southern Italy has claimed two lives and left more than a dozen people hospitalised, but one 24-year-old student says she is “lucky” to be alive after eating one of the contaminated sandwiches.

Authorities say the outbreak has been traced to a food truck operating on the seafront in Diamante, Calabria, whose products have allegedly infected 14 people, including two teenagers. Among the victims were 52-year-old artist and musician Luigi Di Sarno and 45-year-old Tamara D’Acunto, both of whom died after eating the same type of panini.

The sandwiches contained grilled sausage and “cime di rapa”, also known as turnip tops, a vegetable similar to broccoli, and were reportedly left in the hot sun for hours, conditions that “could have favoured the proliferation of botulinum toxins in perishable products, especially if not properly stored,” according to prosecutors.

‘If my sister hadn’t taken me to the hospital by force, I wouldn’t be here today’



Speaking to local media, Gaia Vitiello, a languages student at the Federico II University of Naples, described how a late-night snack almost cost her her life. On August 5, after a night out, she and her friends bought sandwiches from the food truck at around 4:30 a.m. “My friends only had mayonnaise, sausage, and chips. I added broccoli. It was the first time I'd ever done that,” she said.

Just an hour later, symptoms began. “I had diarrhea. I thought it was indigestion,” Vitiello recalled. “The next day, the symptoms worsened. I couldn't swallow and my legs were shaking.”

Her sister Alessia insisted on taking her to a local clinic — a decision Vitiello initially resisted. Once there, she was transferred to Annunziata Hospital in Cosenza and admitted to intensive care. “If my sister Alessia hadn't taken me to the hospital by force, I wouldn't be here today,” she said.

She was treated with the appropriate antitoxin and later discharged. “I consider myself lucky,” Vitiello told reporters.

Investigation widens as authorities secure antitoxin supplies
The botulism outbreak has triggered a nationwide recall of the commercially produced panini linked to the food truck. As per the recent Daily Mail report, nine people have been brought under investigation, including the truck’s owner, three employees of the company that allegedly produced the sandwiches, and five doctors accused of failing to act quickly enough to save victims.



Di Sarno’s sister has alleged that he was discharged from hospital despite still feeling sick; he later died.


Local health authorities say they are working with national health officials to ensure a significant reserve of antitoxins is readily available at Annunziata Hospital.




What is botulism and what are its symptoms?


Botulism is a dangerous illness that is caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that targets the nervous system and can lead to paralysis, respiratory muscle failure, and death. It is rare but often fatal without prompt treatment.


It can develop from contaminated food, infected wounds, or, in infants, when bacterial spores grow in the intestines.


The symptoms of foodborne botulism include trouble swallowing or speaking, dry mouth, facial weakness on both sides of the face, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, and paralysis.