3 in Spokane sickened by canned-bean botulism

Health officials and food preservation experts are warning home canners to follow strict safety rules after a Spokane woman and two young children were sickened by botulism from improperly canned green beans from a home garden.

The Spokesman-Review reports the victims were a nurse in her 30s and two children younger than 10. The women has asked that her name not be released. She remains on a ventilator and is recovering slowly. The children suffered milder symptoms.

The three were given an antitoxin that was flown to Spokane from a special storage facility in Seattle.

Epidemiologist Dorothy MacEachern with the Spokane Regional Health District is concerned that people have been responding to difficult economic times by canning more of their food perhaps improperly.

Food safety experts say special precautions must be taken when canning low-acid foods such as green beans and asparagus.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com