At least 70 people became sick with food poisoning in Meizhou
City in southern China's Guangdong Province, local health officials
said Wednesday.
Beginning Sunday morning, dozens of people who ate sandwiches
and toast from the same bakery chain reported stomachache, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and fever, said doctors at Meizhou
City People's Hospital. At least 70 people sought medical treatment
at the hospital from Sunday to Tuesday.
Doctors reported that the patients were all in stable
condition.
Preliminary investigation by local health supervision
authorities showed all the food was produced by six chain stores
under a local company, 100 Point Artistic Bakery.
The city government has suspended sales and production of the
suspect food and organized recall efforts.
The investigation is still under way.
Meanwhile, more than 20 people had been hospitalized as of 10:00
AM Wednesday after drinking poison-tainted herb tea Tuesday evening
in southern China's Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region.
Eighteen of the patients were in stable condition, but two
others were suffering heart arrhythmia, the hospital reported. Dr.
Zhou Shilian said organic phosphate detoxification takes time, and
it was too early to say when the two seriously ill men would
recover.
The victims of the poisoning are residents of the Dushugen
Community of Beihai, with the youngest being a three-year-old girl.
They suffered vomiting, stomachache and dizziness after drinking
herb tea at a nearby stand and were admitted to the Beihai City
People's Hospital and the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese
Medicine.
Medical workers with the city's epidemic prevention center found
methylamine phosphate in samples of the tea.
It is a summer tradition in Beihai City to drink herb tea to
lower interior fever and drive away summer heat.
Local police are investigating the case.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2004)