Manaoag food poisoning victims rise to 75

MANAOAG, Pangasinan — The number of victims of food poisoning caused by spaghetti served at a birthday party in Tambaoan St., Poblacion here ballooned to 75 as of yesterday morning.

Dr. Jess Canto, hospital director of Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, where the victims were rushed after suffering severe headache, stomach ache, nausea, and diarrhea, said they are now getting samples of the patients’ feces to determine what bacteria caused their sickness.

Canto added that the patients successively sought confinement at the hospital when they started to feel the symptoms of food poisoning.

Other patients were rushed to the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City.

"You know in the barrio, everybody is invited and happy even if you serve only spaghetti," said a woman who was watching over five relatives confined at the hospital.

He disclosed that they were invited to a birthday party where only spaghetti was served. Canto said even the ones who prepared the food were brought to the hospital.

Doctors initially suspect that e-coli vascillus cirrus could have caused the food poisoning incident.

No one died and some have been discharged from the hospital as of press time yesterday.

The patients were given hydration therapy. According to Canto, the local government of Manaoag will help shoulder the medical expenses of the victims.