In Odesa, a woman contracted botulism after homemade blood sausage bought from a street vendor

The first case of botulism in the Odesa region since the beginning of 2026 has been registered. A resident of Odesa was hospitalized after consuming homemade blood sausage purchased from an unauthorized trading spot.

Experts emphasize that botulism is one of the most dangerous food poisonings, and the main cause of infection is often homemade products made or sold in violation of sanitary requirements.

The affected woman, born in 1965, consumed homemade blood sausage bought from an unknown person at an unauthorized trading location.

Initially, the woman was hospitalized at the Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 5 of the Odesa City Council, and later transferred to Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 10 of the Odesa City Council for treatment of neurological pathology. Subsequently, the patient was treated at the Municipal Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital of the Odesa City Council, where she was diagnosed with botulism and administered antitoxin serum.

This is the first registered case of botulism in the Odesa region since the beginning of 2026.

Previously, we shared information on how to safely preserve food at home and which mistakes to avoid to prevent botulism.

What is botulism and why is it dangerous

Botulism is a severe food poisoning accompanied by toxic damage to the central nervous system. The mortality rate for this disease can reach 20%.

Botulism pathogens are widespread in nature. They can be found in the intestines of domestic and wild animals, waterfowl, and fish. If food products become contaminated with soil or the intestinal contents of animals, birds, or fish, spores or vegetative forms of the pathogen may enter them.

Botulism spores die only at temperatures above +120 °C. The most favorable conditions for the formation of the dangerous toxin are temperatures of +20...+25 °C, i.e., normal room temperature, at which spores germinate, bacteria actively multiply, and produce toxin. The toxin itself is highly resistant to heat treatment.

Which products most often cause botulism

Sources of infection can include not only homemade canned meat, mushrooms, vegetables, or fruits.

Smoked, salted, and dried homemade products also pose a danger.

Experts explain that botulinum toxin, which enters the body with food, is not destroyed in the stomach or intestines. In terms of potency, this poison is one of the most powerful known natural toxins.

How to protect yourself from botulism

The most reliable way to protect yourself is thorough heat treatment of products before consumption or complete refusal to consume food products that raise doubts about their quality or safety.

For botulism prevention, it is also recommended to:

• not buy homemade food products at informal markets or from street vendors;
• store homemade preserves in the refrigerator or another cool place and preferably no longer than one year;
• when buying industrially produced dried and cured fish, pay attention to its appearance, storage conditions, and the presence of labeling indicating the production date and expiration date;
• when home canning meat and fish products, sterilize the cans at +115...+120 °C for at least 40–60 minutes followed by airtight sealing.

Additionally, the authorities remind that boiling or frying homemade preserves and other homemade products for at least 30 minutes before consumption remains the primary method of botulism prevention.

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