On the afternoon of 23/9, the Quang Tri province Food Safety Department announced the test results from the Pasteur Institute Nha Trang. Specifically, 9 out of 11 food samples collected from the bread shop tested positive for Salmonella spp., including: beef sausage, fish sausage, braised pork, bread, sandwiches, savory sauce, cucumbers, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs.
Similarly, 11 out of 13 patient samples also yielded positive results, with one case additionally infected with Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that secretes toxins causing severe vomiting. The remaining two patient samples did not detect any pathogens.
The Food Safety Department has transferred all test records to the Cam Lo commune People's Committee for investigation, to clarify the source of contamination between the ingredients and the patients, and to handle the matter according to regulations.
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Patients suffering from food poisoning received treatment at Cam Lo Regional General Hospital on 15/9 and have since been discharged. *Minh Anh*
The incident began on 15/9 when more than 40 customers experienced high fever, chills, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating bread purchased from the establishment. Medical facilities admitted and treated numerous cases with an initial diagnosis of suspected food poisoning. All patients have now been discharged.
Salmonella is a bacillus that causes acute gastrointestinal infections. When it enters the body through food or drink, this bacterium damages the intestinal lining, causing fever, dehydration due to continuous diarrhea and vomiting, and can easily lead to critical complications if treatment is delayed.
The incident in Cam Lo commune marks the second bread poisoning outbreak in Quang Tri province in over four months. In early May, authorities fined a bread business 6 million VND for violating ingredient origin regulations, leading to over 80 people being poisoned by this Salmonella strain.
Recently, many localities nationwide have also recorded numerous emergency cases after consuming pate sandwiches, cold cuts, and raw vegetables contaminated with two common culprits: Salmonella bacteria and E.coli bacteria.
By Dac Thanh
