Test results of food raw material samples found that Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the rolled rice seaweed was the agent that poisoned 74 people in Khanh Son district.
The above information was reported by the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene on April 26, about a poisoning incident at a peddling establishment in front of the school gate in To Hap town, Khanh Son district, causing many students and people to be hospitalized. on April 9.
Test results of food material samples showed that the seaweed roll sample was contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and the endotoxin-producing strain Staphylococcal enterotoxin; The remaining samples of ingredients such as radishes, sausages, seaweed, rice balls, chili sauce,… and samples of the hands of the person preparing the food did not detect bacteria.
In addition, 7/9 specimens (stool, vomit) of the poisoned person taken at Khanh Son District Medical Center were positive for Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The health sector discovered that more than 75% of cases have an incubation period of 1-6 hours; The patient had symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and was diagnosed with intestinal and digestive infections and bacterial food poisoning.
Staphylococcus aureus is a staph bacteria with an incubation period of 1-6 hours, often causing symptoms of frequent diarrhea and vomiting. The disease progresses quickly and the patient will recover within 1-2 days.
Previously, on the afternoon of April 9, 74 people were poisoned after eating rice balls and rice rolls from street vendors in To Hap town, Khanh Son district. Of these, 29 cases required hospitalization, the remaining cases were investigated in the community. More than half of the poisoning cases are students in elementary and middle schools in To Hap town.
Authorities recorded that the children were poisoned by eating rice balls and rice rolls sold by Ms. Bui Thi Luong as a street vendor in front of the school. Through investigation, that day Ms. Luong prepared 114 servings of rice balls and 28 servings of rice rolls.
Ingredients include seaweed, rice, crab sticks, fried eggs, fried sausage, stir-fried carrots, shredded cucumber, and sliced pickled radish. Dipping sauce is chili sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, sesame oil. She bought the food at the grocery store or market, and the seaweed was a package with Korean characters written on Facebook, most of which did not have receipts or documents.
Ms. Luong said that she and her husband prepare the dish every day and sell it in front of To Hap Secondary School. Since starting to sell on the street, the couple has never had a health check-up or attended a food safety training class.
This woman prepares food in the kitchen area of the house, separate from the toilet area and not near the source of environmental pollution. All food is preserved in the refrigerator and prepared with tap water. Waste sources are collected cleanly.
At the time of the investigation, Ms. Luong’s facility no longer kept samples of processed food, so the investigation team could not specifically identify the food that caused the poisoning, but could only determine that the cause of the poisoning was from rice balls and rice balls. rolled rice.
The Food Safety and Hygiene Branch recommends handling administrative violations against the facility causing poisoning; At the same time, we recommend that relevant departments and branches increase propaganda to people about food hygiene and safety issues; Supervise food and beverage establishments in the area, inspect and strictly handle places that use foods of unknown origin.
This is one of many poisoning cases in Khanh Hoa over the past month. At the end of March, 12 students at Nguyen Van Troi High School were poisoned by eating rice and chicken noodles, but could not specifically identify the poisonous dish, the poisoning agent was suspected to be caused by microorganisms.
In early April, 37 students in Vinh Truong ward, Nha Trang city, were poisoned after eating breakfast with chicken rice, sushi, fast food… The cause of the poisoning has not yet been determined. A female student died, authorities have not announced the cause, but a representative of the Department of Health confirmed “it was not due to poisoning”.
In March, 369 people were poisoned by eating at Tram Anh chicken rice restaurant due to contamination with Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus… Authorities have not yet determined which food caused the poisoning.
Bui Toan