In the Lviv region, a woman was admitted to the intensive care unit after eating stewed meat she bought at the market

A 33-year-old woman from the Sambir district was admitted to the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital in serious condition with suspected botulism. The illness was likely caused by homemade stewed meat that the woman purchased at a market in Sambir.

The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. 

The woman sought medical attention on September 25. She complained of a number of symptoms characteristic of botulism, including:

• unsteadiness while walking;
• headache;
• nausea and vomiting;
• a scratchy throat;
• blurred vision.

Given the nature of the clinical symptoms, the patient was administered antitoxin serum. She is currently receiving medical care in accordance with clinical protocols.

Specialists at the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting an epidemiological investigation into the case.

It is known that prior to her illness, the woman consumed homemade pork stew that she had purchased at a market in Sambir.

This is the second reported case of botulism in the Lviv region in 2026.

The first case was recorded in May. At that time, a 60-year-old resident of the Lviv District was hospitalized after consuming homemade canned vegetables. According to the information provided, the canned vegetables had been stored for over five years.

In 2025, seven cases of botulism were reported in Lviv Oblast. The most common cause of the illness was the consumption of homemade preserves, dried or smoked fish, and meat products prepared using improper methods.

Botulism is an acute infectious disease caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This dangerous toxin is most commonly found in foods that have been improperly prepared or stored.

In particular, the botulism pathogen may be present in homemade canned meat, fish, mushrooms, and vegetables, as well as in salted, dried, and smoked fish.

Among the most common symptoms of the disease are:

• visual disturbances—double vision or a foggy sensation before the eyes;
• slurred speech;
• difficulty swallowing;
• dry mouth;
• muscle weakness;
• generalized infectious intoxication, which may be accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, a slight fever, and abdominal pain.

In severe cases of botulism, respiratory muscle function may be compromised. Without proper treatment, the disease can lead to respiratory failure and death.

In children, botulism may present differently. Possible symptoms include apathy, refusal to eat, prolonged crying, and muscle weakness.

If characteristic symptoms appear after consuming homemade canned foods or other potentially hazardous products, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

This was reported by the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Previously, specialists at the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital successfully treated a 56-year-old woman from Lviv who was hospitalized with suspected brain metastases or toxoplasmosis. However, the woman’s family doctor suspected an infectious disease and advised her to consult infectious disease specialists first.

Earlier, cardiac surgeons at the Lviv National Medical University Hospital performed a complex heart surgery on a 70-year-old resident of Krasne in the Lviv region. During the procedure, the medical team used the rare “Chimney” technique for mitral valve surgery for the first time in Ukraine.

As a reminder, doctors in Lviv saved 77-year-old Stepan Rebets, who was diagnosed with an extremely rare liver tumor measuring 25×17 centimeters. Due to the tumor’s hormonal activity, the man’s body was losing sugar, and the patient himself fell into a hypoglycemic coma due to critically low glucose levels.

Prior to this, specialists at the St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital of Lviv’s First Medical Association successfully performed a complex kidney-preserving surgery on an 8-year-old boy from the Ternopil region using the Senhance robotic system with built-in artificial intelligence. 

Earlier, doctors managed to extend the pregnancy of a 28-year-old patient by another 97 days after her water broke. Thanks to this, the baby’s organs had time to develop sufficiently, and the boy was born in satisfactory condition and did not require intensive care.

Doctors diagnosed a 35-year-old woman from Lviv with an extremely rare jaw disorder.

As a reminder, Ukraine will establish its first Center for Robotic Surgery.

In Lviv, doctors performed a rare combined surgical procedure. During a cesarean section, a 26-year-old woman simultaneously underwent removal of a recurrent ventral hernia, which could have caused serious complications after childbirth.