Man's death possibly linked to botulism outbreak at California gas station
A botulism outbreak at a California gas station that left a woman paralyzed last week is believed to also have killed a father of two, according to KTXL.
According to a GoFundMe page created by his family, 37-year-old Martin Galindo was diagnosed with a rare case of botulism a couple weeks ago that eventually put him in a coma.
After a grueling battle with the deadly toxin, Galindo was tragically declared brain-dead and taken off life support on Thursday night in a San Francisco hospital.
KGO-TV reports that Galindo likely contracted the disease from a botulism outbreak traced back to the Valley Oak Food and Fuel in Walnut Grove, California.
Although Galindo's death has not yet been confirmed by the California Department of Health as having ties to the outbreak, 10 cases of botulism have already been linked back to the nacho cheese served at the gas station.
Lavinia Kelly, a 33-year-old mom who was sickened by the same nacho cheese, has been in intensive care for three weeks suffering from full-body paralysis.
Her family has filed a lawsuit against the gas station because of how long and difficult her recovery will be.
"Once the toxin is bound to the neuromuscular system, it's a fairly irreversible procedure," Dr. Brett Laurence, an infection control specialist at Sutter General Hospital where Kelly is being treated, told KTXL. "We have to wait for that to wear off and for new nerves to grow and then recovery begins from there."
Until nerves regrow, doctors can only provide supportive care to patients, helping them breathe with ventilators and providing intravenous nutrition.
Although her recovery will undoubtedly be an uphill battle, Kelly's family is still thankful that things didn't turn out worse for them.
"It's really scary," said Kelly's sister Theresa. "And to think if her and my mother had eaten there, my mom's older. If my mom had eaten there, I don't know if we would have lost both of them."
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