Probe into suspected cases of food poisoning

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday issued a statement saying it launched an investigation after receiving a report about three suspected cases of food poisoning from the same family. A man, his son and daughter showed symptoms of food poisoning, the report stated. The entities concerned at the MoPH initiated the necessary epidemiological investigation into the matter immediately upon receiving the report.According to doctors and members of the affected family, the man and his two children showed symptoms such as shortness of breath, vision disorder, weakness in the facial muscles and difficulty in swallowing, the ministry said in the statement. Based on pathological and epidemiological data, the symptoms mentioned are similar to poisoning by a substance produced by the botulinum bacteria, which can multiply within canned meats, especially smoked varieties such as mortadella and sausages. The MoPH is working to provide the anti-toxin drug from the manufacturer and stressed that no other similar cases have been registered.Food and epidemiological investigation teams are still looking for the potential causes of infection, the statement points out, adding that the MoPH has taken the necessary precautionary measures to be followed in such cases.