THE 2014 VILLA ROMANO GREEN FARMS BOTULISM OUTBREAK

In late May 2014 John Napierski, purchased seven jars of VR Greens Farms (VRGF) Basil Pine Nut Pesto at a Farm Stand operated at the Bella Collina Towne and Golf Club in San Clemente, California.  While on a road trip east, Mr. Napierski gave two jars to friends in Denver, Colorado. He then continued his trip to Ohio and gave two jars to his daughter, Kathryn (“Katy”), who was a nursing student working and attending college in Cincinnati.  Katy and her friend, Arielle Allen, used a portion of one jar of pesto as an ingredient in a chicken pasta dish they cooked at home and shared on July 13. On July 15 Katy complained of a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Arielle started to have similar symptoms on July 17.  Over the next ten days both women continued to experience neurological symptoms.  Both women had multiple medical encounters before botulism was suspected as the cause of their symptoms. Katy was admitted to Bethesda North Hospital on July 17 and transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on July 18. Arielle was admitted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on July 27 due to worsening bulbar and facial weakness. Arielle’s admission to the hospital prompted the attending neurologist to note her friendship with Katy and similarity in symptoms between the two women.  He diagnosed both Katy and Arielle as having suspected botulism and notified public health authorities. Botulism antitoxin was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and administered to Arielle on the evening of July 28. Serum and stool collected from Arielle and Katy did not test positive for C. botulinum. The toxin, however, was found in pesto sauce leftover from the chicken pasta meal.

Investigators at the City of Cincinnati Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health quickly determined that Katy and Arielle had shared a meal of pasta with chicken and jarred pesto sauce. During a visit to Arielle’s apartment, investigators found leftover chicken pasta with pesto in the apartment refrigerator. This was collected for laboratory testing for the presence of Clostridium botulinum toxin as was an unopened jar of pesto that Katy had. On July 29 Ohio investigators notified the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Food and Drug Branch (FDB) that two Ohio residents had botulism and that the suspected source was VRGF Basil Pine Nut Pesto.  CDPH FDB contacted Dominic Romano, owner of VRGF, and informed him of the illnesses.Continue Reading A Botulism Tale: Two Young Women and One Jar of Pesto Sauce