Paraguayan officials reported four confirmed cases of foodborne botulism.
The Directorate General for Health and Welfare (DGVS), under the Ministry of Health and Social Care, said it was conducting an epidemiological and sanitary investigation.
All patients are adults and a link has been established for them to eat at commercial establishments in the city of Asunción. Those affected are receiving specialist treatment in hospital.
Other agencies involved include the National Health Surveillance Agency (DINAVISA), the National Quality and Animal Health Service (SENACSA) and the Central Laboratory for Public Health (LCSP).
We are conducting testing, traceability, sampling, and technical analysis to find the source of infection.
Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
Paraguay’s latest epidemiological bulletin, conducted from May 10 to 16, showed 26 reports of food poisoning, compared to 57 in the same period in 2025.
From early 2026 to mid-May, there were 74 cases of food and water-borne diseases registered, of which 40 were confirmed. Among the confirmed cases, 10 were aged 15 to 19, 6 were aged 0 to 4, and 5 were aged 10 to 14. In total, 23 patients were female.
The causative agents identified in stool samples from individual cases were Campylobacter, E. coli, and Shigella. There was one report of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
About botulism
Food contaminated with spores that produce botulism toxin may not look, smell or taste bad.
Consuming unprocessed foods can cause a variety of food poisonings, but one of the most dangerous is botulism. If left untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, leading to sudden death. Anyone who shows signs of botulism should seek immediate medical attention.
For foodborne botulism, symptoms usually begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms may begin as early as 6 hours later or up to 10 days later.
Symptoms of botulism may include some or all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a feeling of thickening in the tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism may not have all of these symptoms at once.
These symptoms are caused by muscle paralysis caused by the toxin. If left untreated, the disease may progress and symptoms may worsen, resulting in paralysis of the muscles used for breathing and the muscles of the arms, legs, and body from the neck to the pelvic region.
