Two patients with botulinum poisoning are gradually recovering.

Ho Chi Minh City - Two brothers who suffered botulinum poisoning after eating street-sold pork sausage are gradually recovering and have been transferred to Hau Giang General Hospital for continued treatment, including nutritional support and physical therapy.

On June 9th, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngan, Deputy Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases at Cho Ray Hospital, stated that the two patients have entered the phase of intensive care to improve their physical condition and begin abdominal exercises.

Both are currently alert, responsive, and have stable vital signs. The older brother can follow some simple medical instructions, but his ability to breathe independently remains limited. He was admitted with muscle strength of 3-4/5 but subsequently deteriorated to 2-3/5, with weakened respiratory muscles. The younger brother initially experienced more severe muscle paralysis, with muscle strength at only 1/5 showing no improvement. He is now alert, responsive to commands, and nods, but is still unable to follow medical instructions or perform simple movements.

Both patients remain on ventilators, a situation that has persisted for nearly a month. Doctors believe they may need two months or more of rehabilitation before they can breathe on their own. Therefore, to prevent the risk of infection and to facilitate family care, both patients have been transferred to a local hospital for continued treatment.

The hospital fees for the two brothers, which were not covered by health insurance, amounted to 130 million VND, and were covered by donations solicited from benefactors by the Social Work Department of Cho Ray Hospital.

Representatives from Cho Ray Hospital (left) present the notification regarding financial assistance for hospital fees to the families of two patients. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

These two brothers are among six people in Ho Chi Minh City who suffered botulinum poisoning since May 13th. Five of them, in Thu Duc City, were poisoned after eating street-sold pork sausage, and one is suspected to have been poisoned by eating fermented fish sauce.

Among the patients, three children aged 10-14 years old, treated with the BAT antidote at Children's Hospital 2, showed faster improvement, and one has already been discharged. The remaining three, including the two brothers mentioned above and the person who consumed the fish sauce, ran out of the antidote, and doctors could only provide supportive treatment.

On May 24th, the World Health Organization (WHO) sent six vials of antidote from Switzerland to Vietnam to treat the patients, but it was too late. Two of the brothers had missed the "golden time" for receiving the antidote, and the remaining patient died just before receiving it.

Two samples of pork sausage taken from the patient's home and the production facility in Thu Duc City tested negative for botulinum toxin. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the poisoning.

Botulinum is an extremely potent neurotoxin produced by anaerobic bacteria – bacteria that thrive in enclosed environments such as canned food, or food environments that do not meet the standards for bacterial growth control.

Symptoms of botulinum poisoning include abdominal pain, muscle pain, fatigue, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, and generalized muscle weakness. Eventually, the patient experiences difficulty breathing or respiratory failure due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles. These signs appear slowly or quickly depending on the amount of botulinum ingested.

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