New Mexico health officials announced today that a man had been hospitalized with botulism poisoning since July 26th.  Test results confirmed the 52-year-old man’s case, and health agencies are working together to determine whether the man’s case can be tied to the recall of Castleberry’s chili products.  According to an Associated Press article, the man is mostly paralyzed, but is able to communicate with doctors and public health officials by wiggling his toes.

The article also provided an update on the outbreak.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a preliminary test showed the man tested positive for botulism, Busemeyer said.

The CDC had said earlier that, as of July 22, four people had been hospitalized because of the contaminated food.

Federal Food and Drug Administration investigators believe Castleberry’s failed to properly cook some or all the products involved in the recall, allowing the Clostridium botulinum bacteria to survive the canning process.