According to local authorities, four patients have been discharged for home treatment, while 88 remain under medical observation at healthcare facilities across the province. One patient whose condition deteriorated has been transferred to Ho Chi Minh City for specialised treatment.
Food safety inspectors have conducted checks at the Hong Ngoc bread production and retail facility and ordered it to suspend all operations from 7 pm on June 16 pending the outcome of an investigation.
Hong Ngoc bakery (Photo: Contributor).
Provincial authorities said the My Tho Regional Medical Centre first reported cases of suspected food poisoning on June 16 linked to banh mi sold by Hong Ngoc 37, located at 64-66 Bis-62 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Dao Thanh Ward.
Patients were admitted to hospital suffering from symptoms including fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. They are being treated at Tien Giang General Hospital, Military Hospital 120 and the My Tho Regional Medical Centre.
By 7 pm on June 16, health authorities had recorded 22 suspected cases. However, Dao Thanh Ward authorities said on the evening of June 17 that a further 71 people had been hospitalised, bringing the total number of suspected food poisoning cases to 93.
The latest incident follows another major food poisoning outbreak in Dong Thap Province earlier this year.
Between February 24 and March 7, a total of 86 people were hospitalised after consuming meat-filled banh mi produced by Hong Ngoc 12 Bakery in Hong Ngu Ward.
Following an investigation, Dong Thap provincial authorities fined the business VND 90 million (approximately USD 3,450) and ordered it to pay more than VND 175 million (approximately USD 6,700) to cover food poisoning response costs as well as medical examination and treatment expenses for the 86 affected individuals.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the latest outbreak.