Friends of the family paralysed after eating wild boar last month say the suspect meat, left on the stove for 35 days, still appears pristine.
The Putaruru family have been ill with suspected botulism after eating wild boar last month. Photo: RNZ / YouTube
Shibu Kochummen, his wife Subi Babu, and his mother Alekutty Daniel were hospitalised last month with suspected botulism.
Mr Kochummen and Mrs Daniel had been able to return home this week but Mrs Babu was still in hospital.
A friend, Joji Varghese, said before they returned, members of their church cleaned the house which had not been touched since they were abruptly taken to hospital.
Food was still on the plates and had gone mouldy but not the piece of the meat suspected of making them sick, he said.
"This meat in question, which was still in the same pan it was fried in, that meat looked like it was cooked a few hours before. Pristine condition. Absolutely no mould on it," he said.
Tests have still not confirmed botulism was the cause and Mr Varghese said he now wondered if a poison was to blame.
Mr Varghese said the family still had a long way to go until full health.
Mr Kochummen and his mother could walk for only about 20 steps with walking aids but were well enough to be left alone for small periods of time, he said.
It looked likely Mrs Babu would be able to come home next week.
The couple's children had been able to visit them in hospital and had spent a lot of time with him, Mr Varghese said.
But they had now gone to India to stay with family while their parents were recovering.