Ohio Department of Health said 20 cases of botulism have been confirmed among people who attended a Lancaster church potluck at the Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church on Sunday.

Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Michelle LoParo said preliminary tests were carried out in which six food samples from the potluck have been tested positive for botulism. Among the 20 cases, Kim Shaw, 55, of Rushville, died on Tuesday.

Shaw’s death certificate has been filed in Fairfield County, but reason of the death is written pending. The foods that have been tested positive for botulism include three samples of potato salad, one sample of potato salad with egg, one sample of spaghetti pasta salad and one sample of macaroni and cheese.

LoParo said they have taken food samples from the trash bags in which other foods were also mixed. Therefore, there are chances of cross-contamination. But investigation will continue to know about the source.

It has been found that half of the total gathering fell sick. The Fairfield Department of Health provided more than 20 food-related samples to authorities concerned. Matt Giljahn, a spokesman for the state health department, said that the foods include home-canned items like beets, vegetable soup and two samples of pears.

Dr. Julie Mangino, an infectious-disease expert at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, said severity level of the illness depends on how much one has consumed contaminated food. Botulism first attacks the nerve endings in the head.

Its symptoms include drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, difficulty in speaking and trouble holding the head up. When the infection moves down the body then it becomes life-threatening. CDC said that all forms of botulism can be fatal.