On the morning of 26/8, the Gia Lai Department of Health reported 146 individuals receiving treatment at An Khe Medical Center, an increase from 105 cases reported one day prior. Among these, 22 patients have been discharged. Additionally, four patients are receiving care at the Gia Lai Central General Hospital. All patients exhibited symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, with an initial diagnosis of suspected food poisoning.

The patients' health is stable, and no severe cases have been recorded.

Patients receiving treatment at An Khe Medical Center. Photo: Ngoc Oanh

A common factor among the patients is that they all consumed banh mi purchased from the Bin Bin household business between the evening of 23/8 and the evening of 24/8, subsequently developing unusual symptoms. Notably, the owner of the Bin Bin business and their child are also among those admitted to An Khe Medical Center for emergency treatment.

The banh mi consumed by the patients contained ingredients such as pate, cold cuts, shredded pork floss, Vietnamese pork sausage, fresh herbs, cucumber, ground chili, egg butter sauce, soy sauce, and braised pork. Authorities have collected 12 food samples from the establishment for testing; however, the cause has not yet been determined.

The Bin Bin household business has ceased operations to facilitate the ongoing investigation.

In recent times, numerous food poisoning incidents linked to banh mi consumption have occurred in provinces spanning from central to southern Vietnam. These incidents have consistently involved hundreds of cases. The cause is often attributed to accompanying banh mi ingredients, such as pate, Vietnamese sausage, pickled vegetables, and herbs, contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella and E.coli.

Tran Hoa