The 32-year-old woman's cause of death was reported to be 'botulism' transmitted from sardines. Twelve people, including American, Irish and Canadian tourists, were hospitalized after eating the same sardines. It was stated that 5 of these people were connected to a respirator. It was reported that all of the customers in question had eaten sardines that the restaurant owner had stored in jars. A local newspaper reported that when the restaurant owner opened the sardine jars, he threw some of them in the garbage because of the bad odor, while others were offered to the customers. It was also stated that the operator was not authorized to sell this product.

NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE *Botulism is a serious neuroparalytic disease affecting humans and animals.

*The disease is caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium 'clostridium botulinum'. *'Botulinum neurotoxin' blocks nerve functions, leading to respiratory and muscle paralysis. *The most common route of transmission is through the consumption of improperly preserved, unsterilized food. *The disease can be serious if not treated in time and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 5 to 10% of cases can be fatal.