Aug 22 (Japan Times) - A 5-year-old girl is in critical condition and two others are severely ill after eating a supermarket potato salad product infected with O-157 E. coli, Saitama Prefecture said Monday.
The victims all ate potato salad sold at the Shokusaikan Marche Kagohara supermarket in the city of Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, the prefecture said.
In addition to the girl, who remains unconscious, a 4-year-old boy and a 60-year-old woman have been hospitalized. All three are not expected to be discharged soon.
According to Saitama Prefecture, the supermarket's deli - Derishasu Kagohara - procured the potato salad from a food-processing factory from outside the prefecture, then mixed cut pieces of ham and apples.
The Kumagaya Public Health Center has ordered that the deli be closed for three days amid an investigation into the food poisoning, including what caused the E. Coli infection and the routes through which the salad was distributed.
The incident came to light after the prefecture was notified of a boy being admitted to a Gunma Prefecture hospital on Aug. 14. The Kumagaya Public Health Center learned that eight Saitama residents, who all ate the potato salad sold on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8, complained of stomach pains.
Three others ranging in age from 7 to 12 were also hospitalized for symptoms such as diarrhea, but have been released from hospitals already.
Source: ANNnewsCH
