NEWS

Botulism case numbers stable

Jeff Barron
Reporter

LANCASTER – The Ohio Department of Health said the numbers Saturday from the Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church botulism outbreak remained the same as Friday with 20 confirmed cases, nine suspected cases and one death.

"Nothing has changed," ODH spokesman Russ Kennedy said.

The cases that were confirmed on Friday also include the death of Rushville resident Kennetha "Kim" Shaw. She was one of 50 to 60 people at the Sunday lunch.

ODH spokeswoman Cassie Bala said investigators are still narrowing down the contaminated food source, but the preliminary lab results point to three dishes in particular:

"We have six food specimens that are preliminary positive," she said.

The positive food specimens are four potato salad samples, one spaghetti pasta salad sample and one macaroni and cheese sample.

Eagle-Gazette reporter Spencer Roush contributed to this story

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

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