Fears over botulism are growing in the Bay Area after the illness killed a second person, this time in Napa County.
The death, which was reported in the last month, is not related to the botulism outbreak linked to contaminate nacho cheese sold at a gas station in Sacramento suburb of Walnut Grove. In that case, one person died and nine other became sick.
There is no word from Napa County officials on how the person there became sick.
Health officials say botulism is caused when foods are inappropriately stored or preserved. Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. However, the rare kind of food poisoning can also lead to paralysis, breathing difficulty and sometimes death.
To be on the safe side, health officials said that it is important to properly wash vegetables and fruits, and store foods based on the label directions.
Botulism is treatable, and only 5 percent of cases turn deadly, according to health officials.