Public health authorities are pointing the finger at a possibly undercooked roast pig as they continuing to investigate a food poisoning outbreak at an event in Mount Isa.
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About 30 people have presented to GPs or the Mount Isa Hospital emergency department with symptoms including diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, cramps and fevers and at least five people have been admitted to hospital.
All patients attended the Santo Niño feast on 15 January at Mount Isa Catholic Church, where several home-cooked meals and a roast pig were served.
Townsville Public Health Unit Director Dr Steven Donohue said most admissions were elderly people with pre-existing medical conditions.
“Faecal samples from several of the sick persons showed salmonella bacteria were the likely cause of the incident,” Dr Donohue said.
“Preliminary results from food sample tests showed evidence of salmonella from the roast pig.”
Dr Donohue said the different bacteria isolated from the food and the affected people were being tested, and are likely to all be the same salmonella strain.
“It is very important that spit-roasted animals should be completely cooked and kept very hot or very cold afterward to avoid the breeding of bacteria,” he said.
“Intermediate temperatures are a high risk for the growth of bacteria.”
Investigations into the exact cause of the outbreak are continuing.
Public Health Unit workers have been speaking with as many attendees as possible to help determine the exact source of the outbreak.
More than 60 people attended the event and any others who are ill should see their doctor.
Gastrointestinal illnesses can be very serious. In some cases they can lead to severe dehydration and complications.
People showing symptoms should contact their GP or phone 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84).
To ensure food safety, Queensland Health advises people to:
• be very careful with food - ensure food is stored below five degrees Celsius and is returned to the refrigerator within two hours
• always wash their hands before and after handling eggs and raw chicken
• prevent cross-contamination by using separate chopping boards, tongs, knives, containers and other equipment when storing, preparing, handling and cooking raw and ready-to-eat food
• cook chicken thoroughly so that there is no pink meat and the juices run clear, and
• consider using pasteurised egg products and avoid uncooked food that contains raw eggs, which are a high risk.