Woman dies after eating sandwich at festival as family speak out
A recent botulism outbreak in Italy tied to a food truck in Diamante, Italy saw two people tragically lose their lives while a further 14 had to be treated in hospital.
Luigi di Sarno, 52, and Tamara D’Acunto, 45, were the two to lose their lives after eating a contaminated sandwich contained grilled sausages and turnip greens. The truck, along with jars of the broccoli-like greens, have been seized by investigators.
In a separate incident, an Italian woman has become the second suspected victim of another botulism outbreak, this time from guacamole at a Sardinian food festival.
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Valeria Sollai, 62, died at Monserrator Policlinico Hospital in Cagliari on 18 August 2025 after spending a number of weeks on life support.
Sollai, who worked as a school cook, is thought to have eaten the same guacamole that authorities believe was responsible for the death of Roberta Pitzalis, 38, on 8 August 2025. Pitzalis died from botulism and pneumonia, per the post-mortem.
Several more people who attended the Fiesta Latina festival in the Cagliari suburb of Monsterrato from 22 to 24 July fell ill, with two children still receiving hospital treatment.
One of those is a 14-year-old girl who remains at Monserrato Policlinico hospital, and the other is an 11-year-old boy who was flown to Gemelli Policlinico in Rome after falling seriously ill.
A 14-year-old girl is still being treated at Monserrato Policlinico hospital, while an 11-year-old boy has been flown to Rome’s Gemelli Policlinico in a serious condition.
Ms Sollai’s body has yet to be fully examined for a cause of death, and it’s reported that she had been progressing with her recovery before she relapsed.
“It’s absurd that someone goes out for a relaxing evening, goes to a party, eats a sandwich and ends up in the hospital,” said Gianni Milia, Sollai’s cousin, according to the Sardinian newspaper L’Unione Sarda.
“She was with her sisters, they all ate the same sandwich, but only she fell ill. They were celebrating their older sister’s discharge from the hospital. A party turned into a tragedy.”
“She gave so much for our children,” said d Tomaso Locci, mayor of Monserrato mayor. “The news saddens us deeply. We will be present at the funeral as a community, as we were for Roberta Pitzalis, the other victim. This is a loss that affects us all.”
Authorities in Calabria have launched an investigation after two people died in a separate outbreak of botulism in the coastal town of Diamante.
Rachael Davis