Almost 40 people are being monitored or treated for botulism after attending a Church potluck at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church in Ohio on Sunday, April 19.

18 Treated For Botulism After Church Picnic

The Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church hosted a picnic Sunday, and on Monday word spread that a few attendees had fallen ill. At first, patients presented with minor symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, leading many to believe that they had suffered food poisoning.

On Tuesday, after patients began presenting with neurological symptoms, including drooping eyelids and blurred vision, doctors at Fairfield Medical Center determined that they might have been exposed to the same food that carried botulism. 18 attendees have been reported ill ranging from ages 9 to 87, including one 55-year-old woman who died, and 21 other people are currently being monitored.

The patients showing symptoms were given an antitoxin early Wednesday morning, according to the hospital, but it’s unclear how much the antitoxin can really help those who have already become ill enough to be on ventilators. “It prevents worsening. It is not going to reverse what has already happened,” said Fairfield Department of Health spokeswoman Jennifer Valentine.

According to Valentine, the few patients who have already been put on ventilators will have a “very long period of recovery.” Health officials have also stated that the woman who died suffered some pre-existing conditions that made her more susceptible to the disease, but no other details have been released.

It is estimated that 50 to 60 people attended the potluck picnic, and hospital authorities have set up an emergency hotline for attendees. Authorities are currently investigating the origin of the outbreak.