A second person has died in a botulism outbreak linked to a food stand in Sardinia. Valeria Sollai, 62, passed away overnight in the intensive care unit of the Monserrato University Hospital. She had been hospitalized for several weeks after consuming guacamole at the Fiesta Latina event in late July in Monserrato, a metropolitan city of Cagliari.
This death follows that of 36-year-old Roberta Pitzalis, who also died on August 8th after being infected by the killer bacteria at the same festival. The tragedy has intensified the legal position of the sole person under investigation, Christian Gustavo Vincenti, the owner of the kiosk where the contaminated products were served.
A 14-year-old girl remains hospitalized at the Monserrato University Hospital. Four other patients have been discharged from Brotzu Hospital in Cagliari. An 11-year-old boy was transferred to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital; doctors report his condition is improving, though they caution his recovery will be lengthy.
An autopsy performed on Roberta Pitzalis, who died at Businco Hospital in Cagliari, confirmed her death was caused by botulism intoxication, compounded by hemorrhagic pneumonia related to intubation during her treatment.
Sollai worked as a cook at the “Monumento ai Caduti” primary and nursery school. She was hospitalized immediately after her first symptoms appeared. While her severe condition had initially seemed to stabilize, it later worsened, leading to her death. A court-ordered autopsy will now determine the exact cause of death.
Following the first death, the Monserrato town administration, in agreement with local clergy, suspended most events for the Festival of San Lorenzo, allowing only the religious procession to proceed.
Prior to her death, Sollai’s son, Alessandro Aru, a carabiniere officer stationed in Campania, issued a public warning on Facebook on July 31st. Concerned that the Fiesta Latina stands were moving to the Ogliastra region, he urgently advised against eating any food from such stalls. He listed critical symptoms to watch for—including double vision, altered consciousness, coordination difficulties, severe headache, and trouble swallowing or speaking—and urged anyone experiencing them to go to an emergency room immediately.