Health authorities in Gia Lai Province have recorded 248 suspected food poisoning cases linked to banh mi purchased from a local food business, following a sharp increase in hospital admissions over recent days.
Many residents were hospitalised after eating banh mi (Photo: Nhu Nguyen).
The provincial Department of Health said on August 28 that an additional 98 people had been admitted to hospital with symptoms consistent with food poisoning after eating banh mi from the B.B. shop in An Khe Ward, bringing the total number of cases to 248.
Of those affected, 56 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital, while the remaining patients continue to receive treatment and monitoring at the An Khe Medical Centre.
Vietnam's Food Safety Department, under the Ministry of Health, has instructed the Gia Lai Department of Health to direct hospitals and medical facilities to concentrate resources on the treatment of suspected food poisoning patients.
Health authorities and local administrations have also been urged to issue public health notices advising residents in the affected area to monitor their health and seek medical attention if symptoms develop.
Many people have been admitted to hospital after eating banh mi from the B.B. shop in Gia Lai Province (Photo: Tien Le).
According to reports from local authorities, more than 150 people were admitted to the An Khe Medical Centre between the evening of August 23 and August 26 after consuming banh mi purchased from the B.B. shop.
Patients reported symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever.
The Gia Lai Sub-Department of Food Safety and Hygiene said preliminary findings suggest the incident may be linked to food poisoning associated with products sold by the business.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the outbreak and identify any potential food safety violations.