A 41 year old New Jersey resident was hospitalized on June 3, 2004 with a confirmed case of botulism.
The patient was discharged to home on June 21 and is in good condition. The individual had eaten a cured and fermented fish product called "moloha" or "Faseikh" in the Middle Eastern community. Similar ethnic products may be called "kapchunka," "rybetz," "ribeyza," or "rostov."
The infected individual obtained the fish product from a seafood shop in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Hudson Regional Health Commission and the Jersey City Department of Health recommend that persons who have purchased this fish product not consume it. Public health officials advise that persons who might have already consumed this product to be vigilant for symptoms that might be consistent with botulism, as described below, and contact their physicians immediately.
Symptoms of foodborne botulism usually appear within 12 to 36 hours after ingesting contaminated food, but can be as long as 8 days. Foodborne botulism typically begins with blurred or double vision, dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. Vomiting and diarrhea may be present early in the illness. The illness may progress to symmetrical flaccid (floppy) paralysis and may lead to difficulty in breathing.