Taking samples for testing, investigating the cause of the poisoning that hospitalized 7 people in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - The Food Safety Department initially determined that this was poisoning due to using water boiled from an unknown tree trunk, waiting for sample test results to determine the cause of the incident.
On October 16, Mr. Pham Ngoc Quy - Head of the Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department said that the unit had the initial investigation results on the poisoning incident that occurred in Thai Son commune, Do Luong, on October 14.
According to a quick report from the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, on October 15, Nghe An Newspaper reported on the incident.7 people were hospitalized for suspected emergency treatment after mistakenly drinking water containing highly poisonous leaves.Immediately after receiving the information, the Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department sent a team of officials to coordinate with the Do Luong District Medical Center to directly investigate and verify the incident. The investigation team worked at the Thai Son Commune Medical Station, Do Luong District.
Investigation results show that a group of 8 men aged 31 to 51 (all residing in My Tan commune, Ngoc Lac district, Thanh Hoa province) have been working in the forest in Thai Son commune, Do Luong district for about a week now. While working in the forest, they asked a couple to cook for them. During nearly a week of work, the group of 8 people took tree trunks (unknown type) and cut them into small pieces to boil with water to drink and had no strange symptoms. However, on the afternoon of October 14, because the number of sliced tree trunks was small, they took another tree trunk (unknown type) to boil together and then took the water to drink, and then symptoms of headache, dizziness, and nausea appeared. (Not taking leaves to boil and drink as initially reported).
After the symptoms appeared, the group of 8 people were taken to Thai Son Commune Health Station for emergency treatment. One person stayed outside because of mild symptoms. Thai Son Health Station injected Dimedrol into 7 patients and then transferred them to Do Luong District General Hospital for treatment. Do Luong District General Hospital received 7 patients with headaches, dizziness, nausea, diagnosed with poisoning by unidentified substances, treated with gastric lavage, intravenous fluids and transferred to Nghe An General Hospital.
At Nghe An General Hospital, the patients were diagnosed with poisoning/electrolyte disturbances, treated with fluid and electrolyte replacement and closely monitored. Currently, the patients' health is stable.
According to the investigation team, at noon on October 14, the couple who were hired to cook also had lunch with these 8 people. However, this couple later showed no symptoms.
The investigation team took two samples, including the boiled stem and the fresh stem, for testing to determine the cause. Based on the investigation results of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department, the patient's symptoms and the diagnosis of the treatment units, the Food Safety and Hygiene Department initially determined that this was poisoning due to the use of water boiled from the stem of an unknown tree. The results of the sample testing are awaited to determine the cause of the incident.
The Department of Food Safety and Hygiene recommends that people absolutely do not use plants or animals of unknown species or uses for processing or direct consumption.
