The DAV revealed that botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition that is primarily caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The poisoning is  very rare both in Vietnam and around the world.

The main cause is that patients are infected with bacterial toxins in poor-quality foods or eating poorly preserved foods. Since 2020, there have been only a few cases each year, with three cases recently recorded in Ho Chi Minh City.

Following the cases of botulinum poisoning in the southern city, the DAV has worked with the WHO to seek assistance for supply of botulism antitoxin.

Furthermore, it has also asked the city’s Cho Ray Hospital to contact importers and suppliers in order to get more drug supplies.

Most notably, the Ministry of Health has proposed establishing storage centres for rare drugs in socio-economic regions and setting up a mechanism for the expired rare drugs.

The Ministry of Health has also advised people to be cautious by not preserving and using food that has been processed for a long time, to avoid the risk of poisoning in general, and botulinum poisoning in particular./. VNA