Eight botulism cases were registered in Armenia in 2011, official from the Health Ministry told the journalists on Monday.

Three people have already left the hospital, said Artavazd Vanyan. He added that 2 cases, one of them fatal, were registered last December.

The expert urged citizens to buy canned food as it is processed at the temperature of 120-130 ° C which can not be achieved while cooking at home. However, Vanian noted that the number of botulism cases has considerably reduced as compared to 2005-2006.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin. Botulism can be prevented by killing the spores by cooking at 121 ° C.

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