Man Dies of Botulism After Eating Nacho Cheese Dip

A man has died after consuming contaminated nacho-cheese dip purchased at a Northern California gas station, health officials said Monday. At least nine other people have been hospitalized in connection with the cheese dip, which was found to contain botulism toxin. Health officials identified the victim as 37-year-old Martin Galindo-Larios Jr. They provided no further details on his death or the condition of the nine others hospitalized. Galindo-Larios had initially fallen ill several weeks ago, and authorities said this month that the contaminated dip was no longer a risk to the public after being taken off the shelves, the Associated Press reported. It was not immediately clear where the contamination of the food occurred, and authorities did not provide details on the status of their investigation into the outbreak. Gehl Foods, the distributor behind the cheese dip, issued a statement saying it retested its nacho cheese after being informed of the situation by the Food and Drug Administration. After conducting its own tests and having an independent lab test the product, the company said, “It remains clear of any contamination.” Botulism, which can be caused by improperly preserved food, is usually only fatal in 5 to 10 percent of cases, according to World Health Organization figures.