Doctors believe the three people left gravely ill after eating wild boar are suffering from botulism.
The three, from Putaruru in south Waikato - Shibu Kochummen, his wife, Subi Babu, and his mother, Alekutty Daniel - were found by paramedics lying unconscious in their home a week ago after Mr Kochummen collapsed midway through making an emergency call for help.
They are now in a stable condition in a ward and are responding to botulism antitoxin, the Waikato District Health Board said.
‘‘While we don’t know the exact cause and source of this illness, we now believe it is botulism,’’ the DHB says.
The DHB has sent samples off to a specialist centre in Queensland for testing but it may take several weeks before the results are back.
It was initially thought the trio could have been paralysed by the poisoning.
The couple’s two children - a 7-year-old and 1-year-old - were being looked after by a local church group and family members are reported to be on their way from India.
