Colorado woman paralyzed by botulism after 'not heating soup properly'

• Claudia de Albuquerque Celada, 23, was infected with botulism in February
• Local officials are now urging people to properly store and heat perishables 
• READ MORE: Woman, 23, in Colorado left paralyzed after eating ‘CANNED SOUP’

Health officials in Colorado are warning Americans to properly refrigerate and heat their food after an exchange worker was paralyzed by a deadly bacteria.

Claudia de Albuquerque Celada, 23, is in the hospital on a ventilator after contracting botulism, a rare food-borne pathogen that attacks the body’s nerves.

Local health officials traced the Brazilian native’s infection back to a pre-packaged soup she bought ‘from a major retailer’ while working in Aspen in February.

Tests of soup samples from the same grocery store came back negative – leading officials to believe the way Ms Albuquerque Celada stored or cooked it was the issue.

It is believed that she contracted the disease from storebought soup stored in a plastic jar, though the health department did not specify a brand or store

It is thought Ms Albuquerque Celada either didn’t keep the soup refrigerated at a cold enough temperature, didn’t thoroughly reheat it or left leftovers out for too long before refrigerating it again.

A spokesperson for the Pitkin County Health department told DailyMail.com that it was a tragic accident and served as a reminder people need to ‘reassess their food handling practices.’

Officials are urging people to keep soup and all perishables refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, ensure that food is completely heated through, and avoid leaving food out on the counter for more than an hour.

The bacteria that causes botulism is found in soil and ocean floors, where it can remain on the surface of foods like fruits, vegetables, and seafood.

These bacteria make spores, which act like protective coatings, which are usually harmless.

However, warm and wet tight spaces lacking oxygen – such as plastic jars and cans – can lead to the bacteria to release toxins that attack the central nervous system.

Certain heating, handling and storage conditions can also create an environment for botulism bacteria spores to grow and become deadly.

The CDC estimates that there are just 25 cases of foodborne botulism in the US each year, making it vanishingly rare.

Ms Albuquerque Celada’s family has said on social media posts that she is still paralyzed and relies on a ventilator to breathe

The Pitkin County Health Department said that because the food itself tested negative for botulinum bacteria, Ms Albuquerque Celada likely became sick through improper food handling, such as not properly refrigerating or heating

‘Because an outbreak was ruled out, we really focus on the prevention aspect,’ a representative at Pitkin County Health told DailyMail.com.

‘Because there wasn’t a common source of exposure that impacted a larger swatch of the population, or if there were multiple cases associated, we really look at food handling as likely being the cause of the infection.’

READ MORE: Woman, 47, fighting for her life in a coma after eating pesto from farmer’s market that was ‘contaminated with deadly bacteria’

A woman in Brazil was left paralyzed after eating pesto that was feared to be contaminated with a deadly bacteria

Ms Albuquerque became ill in February about 15 days after eating the contaminated food.

Her sister, Luisa Albuquerque, wrote on Instagram that her sister left work early after she started suffering dizziness, double vision, and trouble breathing.

Within 24 hours, her entire body was paralyzed.

The health department said that while it cannot ‘confirm specifically what products led to the infection,’ a suspected soup product was purchased from a major retailer and was stored in a plastic jar.

‘It doesn’t look like it was a damage can, and it doesn’t look like it is the fault of the product itself,’ the department said.

‘It’s nearly impossible to definitively say at what stage there might have been that breakdown.’

The agency said that it sent out samples of a branded soup from two grocery stores in Aspen that Ms Albuquerque Celada was shopping at, which are part of a national chain. The soup had been bought in a plastic, sealed container.

All of the food samples came back negative for botulism.

‘This doesn’t necessarily mean that the food that the case ate didn’t have it, it really means that we’re just unable to confirm definitively what the source of the infection was,’ a spokesperson said.

The department said that its ‘best guess’ is that Ms Albuquerque Celada became ill from a combination of three mishandlings.

The first is improper refrigeration, and the agency stressed that items bought from the store marked as refrigerated must be stored like this at home.

This is because temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) make it easier for bacterial spores to form.

Additionally, the health department advised making sure any food that is heated up, such as on the stovetop or in the microwave, is heated all the way through, as heat can kill those spores.

‘Sometimes in a microwave, food doesn’t always heat all the way through making sure that you’re following all those foods instructions for being able to heat that to the appropriate temperature throughout,’ the representative said.

Finally, officials recommended making sure food is not left out for long periods of time so it can get back to a cold temperature.

‘So not leaving items out sealed on the counter for a few hours. We really want to make sure that those food items get brought to temperature in an appropriate amount of time,’ the health department said.

Foods with low acid content are the most common sources of home-canning related botulism cases, according to the CDC, which include asparagus, green beans, beets, corn and potatoes.

The family is raising funds to transport Ms Albuquerque Celada back to her hometown of Sao Paolo, Brazil

It’s unclear what Ms Albuquerque Celada’s path to recovery will look like, but her family estimates it will take at least six months to a year

Symptoms of botulism include difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, drooping eyelids, blurry vision, slurred speech, difficulty breathing, and trouble moving the eyes, according to the CDC.

Foodborne infection can also cause vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

The CDC estimates that fewer than five out of 100 people with botulism die, though they can be left with lifelong complications like shortness of breath and fatigue.

Ms Albuquerque Celada’s family said that she has been hospitalized for about 50 days, and recovery is expected to last six months to a year.

The family has said on social media that she is stable enough to be transported back to her hometown of Sao Paolo, Brazil.

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