Overview

• Six retirees were hospitalized in Cholet between July 7 and 14 after sharing a carrot cake made with home-canned carrots.
• Analyses by the regional health agency confirmed botulinum toxin in one jar, establishing it as the source of the outbreak.
• The 78-year-old woman died overnight on July 28–29 after weeks of treatment for severe botulism symptoms.
• Among the remaining patients, one remains in critical condition and four have begun convalescence.
• The Angers prosecutor, Eric Bouillard, has launched a judicial inquiry to determine the causes of death and assess possible negligence in home preservation practices.