Botulism poisoned family

Three members of a Waikato family were poisoned with botulism after eating wild boar meat.

‘‘While we don’t know the exact cause and source of this illness, we now believe it is botulism,’’ said Waikato Hospital spokeswoman Lydia Aydon.

‘‘The three patients are responding to botulism anti-toxin and are recovering in hospital.

‘‘We have sent samples off to a specialist centre in Queensland for testing but it may take several weeks before we get the results.’’

She said there was no evidence to believe it was a public health issue.

Shibu Kochummen, 35, his wife Subi Babu, 33, and his mother Alekutty Daniel, 62, ate wild boar meat for dinner last Friday.

Kochummen had earlier killed the boar while on a hunting trip with friends.

Within minutes of consuming the meal, Daniel collapsed at the family’s Putaruru home.

Kochummen called an ambulance, but while on the phone, he, too, collapsed.

Emergency services arrived to find the trio on the floor, unresponsive and vomiting.

On Friday, all three were stable on a ward, Aydon said.

National Poisons Centre director Adam Pomerleau said botulism was high on his list of suspected diseases. He said cases are fairly uncommon, but can occur under the right conditions: a warm environment with low oxygen.

Botulism can be found in soil and even if contaminated meat is cooked, the toxin can survive.

Pomerleau said botulism can be treated with an anti-toxin but even after treatment, it can take months to recover, as the toxin damages the nerve cells.

The last known case of botulism in New Zealand was in 1983.

The botulism anti-toxin was not available in the Waikato and had to be sent from Auckland Hospital.

‘‘New Zealand hospital pharmacies keep a directory of anti-toxins across the country and know how to get them in an emergency situation,’’ Aydon said.

Family friend Joji Varghese said the couple’s two young daughters, aged seven and one, were asleep in bed at the time and it’s understood they did not eat the wild boar meat.

They are currently being cared for by members of the family’s church, the Hamilton Marthoma congregation.

The family moved to New Zealand from India five years ago.