The sudden death of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son while vacationing in Costa Rica has drawn renewed attention to a rare but deadly health risk: food intoxication, also known as food poisoning.
Costa Rican authorities told ABC News they suspect Miller Gardner died of “possible food intoxication,” with signs of asphyxiation linked to a reaction to something he ate.
Miller Gardner, left, and the Gardner family, right. Miller Gardner, left, and the Gardner family, right. X/@Yankees
Why It Matters
The death of Miller Gardner comes amid a broader rise in the prevalence of foodborne illnesses. In 2024, outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths from foodborne pathogens—including Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli—increased sharply, with nearly 1,400 illnesses and 19 deaths reported, up from 1,118 illnesses and eight deaths the year prior, according to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
Norovirus outbreaks also surged in late 2024, with 91 outbreaks reported in a single early December week—one of the highest winter infection rates in recent years, according to the CDC‘s National Outbreak Reporting System.
In lower-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that foodborne illnesses cause 420,000 deaths per year globally, with children under five accounting for nearly one-third of those fatalities.
What To Know
Food poisoning occurs when a person ingests toxins that were formed in food before it is eaten. These can include bacterial toxins from Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum, or Bacillus cereus, as well as chemical agents like pesticides or naturally occurring toxins such as those in certain mushrooms or improperly processed cassava.
Unlike infections where pathogens multiply in the body, intoxications strike quickly. The CDC lists Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus among the top five bacteria causing foodborne illness. For fatal outcomes, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Toxoplasma gondii are the most deadly, responsible for more than 70 percent of known foodborne deaths in the U.S.
Symptoms range from vomiting and abdominal pain to neurological distress and respiratory failure, depending on the toxin. Death may occur via rapid dehydration, toxic shock, or respiratory collapse tied to an immune response, as is suspected in Gardner’s cases.
Miller Gardner, who fell ill alongside several other family members, died in his sleep on March 21. His parents said in a statement: “We have so many questions and so few answers at this point.”
An autopsy report has yet to confirm a cause of death but experts say food intoxication—distinct from food infection—is a dangerous and often underestimated phenomenon, especially in areas with variable food safety practices.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. State Department told ABC: “We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death…Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
Brett and Jessica Gardner, Miller’s parents, said in a statement on the New York Yankees X, formerly Twitter, account: “Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”
What Happens Next
Public health experts continue to stress prevention. The WHO advises nations to bolster surveillance, enforce hygiene standards across food production, and educate consumers on safe food practices.
As investigations into Miller Gardner’s death continue, officials in Costa Rica have not released specifics on the food suspected of causing the fatal reaction.
