Salmonella Found In Gombak Food Poisoning Case That Resulted In 2 Deaths & 93 Infected
Salmonella is a genus of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps, with severe cases potentially leading to death.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 13 Jun 2024, 11:45 AM
The Health Ministry has found salmonella in stool samples from victims who had consumed fried bihun and fried eggs during a school programme on Sunday, 9 June, in Gombak, Selangor
According to the New Straits Times, the Selangor Health Department said some stool samples are still pending results after being sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Sungai Buloh.
"Results are still pending for other samples, such as food from the incident, swabs from related surface areas, and equipment where food was prepared, as well as clinical samples from the food handlers," the department told the English daily.
It is understood that the total number of people hospitalised for food poisoning following the event has increased by 11, from 82 to 93.
"Five have been admitted to the hospital, while three others are still awaiting to be reviewed at the Emergency Department as of 10am today (12 June)," the department announced.
A two-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy died after eating food served at the event.
Preliminary investigations revealed no evident practices contributing to contamination, as the food handlers had been vaccinated for typhoid
"In making the fried eggs, the food handler will crack it open into a bowl before putting it into a frying pan to be fried. All eggs were washed before being used.
"The food preparation involved frying the eggs and packing the cooked vermicelli, and all these processes were done simultaneously by the same food handler.
"The food handlers have been vaccinated for typhoid. Thus, no obvious practices were noted to contribute to contamination," the department explained.
It was reported that the eggs and vermicelli were bought just one day before the school programme on 7 June. The eggs, which were free-range variants, were fried together with the vermicelli during cooking, and also served as sunny side up (telur mata kerbau).
What is salmonella?
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained that salmonella is a genus of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Most types of salmonella cause an illness called salmonellosis, with symptoms typically beginning six hours to six days after infection and lasting four to seven days.
However, some individuals may not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection, while others may experience symptoms for several weeks.
Severe cases may result in death, with the US recording approximately 420 deaths per year due to Salmonella infection.
The bacteria, which live in the intestines of people and animals, can infect humans through various sources, such as consuming contaminated food or water and coming into contact with infected animals, their faeces, or their environment.
The New Straits Times reported that eating undercooked poultry, meat, and eggs, as well as raw fruits and vegetables, unpasteurised milk, and other dairy products, can also cause salmonellosis.
