MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. As many as 301 Russians who fell ill with botulism as a result of consuming substandard products have been hospitalized, 43 of them are on respirators, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told journalists.

"Medical assistance to victims diagnosed with botulism is provided in full. A total of 301 people are under the supervision of specialists in hospitals today, 43 patients are receiving artificial lung ventilation," Murashko said.

According to investigative authorities, the cause of the botulism outbreak in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan was a salad made by the Lokalkitchen company.