Christmas in the small Italian town of Pietracatella has turned into a nightmare after a mother and her teenage daughter lost their lives under mysterious circumstances.
50-year-old Antonella Di Lelsi and 15-year-old Sara Di Vita enjoyed a traditional holiday meal on December 23, which is believed to have caused symptoms of a foodborne infection. They passed away soon after, reportedly due to “multiorgan failure.”
Highlights
- Antonella Di Lelsi, 50, and her daughter, Sara Di Vita, 15, passed away on Saturday after having a traditional Italian Christmas dinner.
- Five doctors from the Cardarelli Hospital, including two on-call medics, are reportedly under investigation for the mother and daughter’s demise.
- The investigators are also examining the possibility of accidental contamination, as foodborne infection remains a major suspected cause of the incident.
Authorities are scrambling to determine whether a contaminated ingredient has already harmed more than one family, or if this was a rare case of infection contained within a single household.
Multiple doctors are being investigated as authorities work to determine whether this was an isolated incident or the beginning of something far more dangerous for the entire town.
A traditional Christmas dinner led to the hospitalization of Antonella Di Lelsi’s family
Image credits: TLT
According to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera, the pair had previously visited the hospital’s emergency room twice. They were reportedly sent home after receiving treatment for a foodborne infection. However, their conditions worsened on Saturday, and the mother-daughter duo was pronounced deceased by late evening.
Image credits: Alyona Yankovska/Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The publication reported that the pair and Antonella’s husband, Gianni Di Vita, first fell sick on the afternoon of December 25, leading to their initial hospital visits. The family had reportedly eaten fish, mussels, and mushrooms for dinner on December 23.
Image credits: Antonella Di Ielsi
In the following days, Sara and Antonella developed symptoms of nausea and severe abdominal pain. However, Sara’s condition worsened on Saturday, and she was admitted to intensive care before passing away at around 11 p.m. local time.
Antonella was also admitted to the hospital that same evening, and she lost her life the next day at 11 a.m. Meanwhile, Gianni remained hospitalized for the two days and has yet to be discharged.
Image credits: Foggia Corriere
Antonella’s eldest daughter, aged 18, was also hospitalized as a precaution despite not sharing her family’s symptoms.
“(It’s) difficult to pinpoint exactly which meal the episode refers to,” Vincenzo Cuzzone, the Intensive Care Unit head at Cardarelli Hospital, told L'Unione Sarda, adding that the mother and daughter suffered multiorgan failure.
Five doctors are reportedly under investigation over Antonella and Sara’s demise
Image credits: RAI News
Three doctors working at the Cardarelli Hospital and two on-call doctors were reportedly under investigation for Antonella and Sara’s demise. They were allegedly charged with various counts of multiple manslaughter, negligent bodily harm, and medical malpractice.
The police collected food samples from the family’s residence in Pietracatella, including canned food and fresh produce. The samples were reportedly sent to the Molise Zooprophylactic Institute in Rome for testing, and an autopsy of the bodies has also been ordered.
Image credits: Antonella Di Ielsi
According to La Repubblica, medics suspected botulism, listeria, or fulminant hepatitis, but investigators have also added "chemical intoxication" to the list of probable causes for the incident.
The town’s mayor, Antonio Tommasone, told the publication that the community was angry over the incident. “We want to understand the reason for the pois**ing, but above all, whether the doctors could have saved her and why she was sent home several times,” he said.
Investigators have suspected food contamination as a possible cause of Antonella and Sara’s passing
Image credits: Antonella Di Ielsi
Aside from testing the food consumed by the family leading up to the incident, investigators are reportedly also examining the possibility of accidental contamination, as it could affect the rest of the town.
Prosecutor Nicola d'Angelo said the authorities were focused on “ensuring that no other citizen is affected by a tragedy of this nature."
They suspect that the flour used in the family’s meal might be laced with a chemical typically used to exterminate rats.
Gianni, who had twice served as the town’s mayor, reportedly also owns a flour mill that was allegedly infested with rats for weeks until it was disinfected.
A series of highly specialized diagnostic investigations has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Image credits: RAI News
Last year, a similar incident took place during Christmas as three relatives from Brazil died after consuming a homemade cake, which reportedly had traces of arsenic.
An airline crew at the Denver International Airport allegedly contracted a foodborne infection after consuming a Christmas meal provided by United Airlines.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed that around 70,000 people in England and Wales seek treatment for foodborne infection during the Christmas period.
"Why were they sent home?" Netizens questioned the doctors over Antonella and Sara’s demise
