Dozens of victims, including children, were hospitalized with suspected salmonella poisoning
More than 70 people got food poisoning after eating shawarma in the Russian City of Vladimir, according to Rospotrebnadzor, the federal regulating agency for surveillance on consumer rights protection and human wellbeing.
In a statement released on Saturday, the agency confirmed that in just two days, twenty more people sought medical help for the illness “associated with consumption of shawarma,” thus bringing the total number of affected to 76, including 19 children.
Some 34 victims, including 11 children, required hospitalization, while the remaining 42 are recovering at home. The doctors assessed the patients’ condition as moderate. The watchdog said the poisoning was likely caused by Salmonella Enteritidis, which was discovered in patients’ tests.
The victims purchased shawarma at five different fast-food locations in Vladimir, between August 15 and 17, according to Rospotrebnadzor. The inspection that followed the mass food poisoning, revealed “gross violations of the sanitary norms and rules” leading to a temporary ban on inspected enterprises.
“Premises and equipment intended for preparation of shawarma and storage of food raw materials were sealed off. Protocols on administrative offenses were drawn up in respect of culprits, which were sent to district courts to consider the issue of imposing an administrative penalty in the form of suspension of activities,” the statement read.
Shawarma and similar fast-food products are considered a high risk when it comes to food positioning, especially during the warmer months, as protein is a perfect breeding ground for various bacteria, an infectious disease doctor, Yvetta Gorshkova, told gazeta.ru last week.
“Shawarma is a very dangerous product. No matter when you eat it, in the summer or winter, but during the heat the risk rises,” Gorshkova said, adding that the consumers should only purchase such fast-food items in trusted outlets that strictly follow the proper cooking technology.
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