Chicken, spaghetti down 46 in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Forty-six people were hospitalized after eating fried chicken and spaghetti served at a birthday party in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo on Sunday.

The victims reportedly fell ill at dawn on Monday and were taken to the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Sta. Barbara and Seamen’s Hospital in Iloilo City for treatment, town police chief Inspector Ramil Jacaba said.

Reports said the victims attended the birthday party of a one-year-old girl in Barangay San Sebastian, wherein they ate fried chicken, spaghetti and salad prepared by the Agraviador family.

Some of the victims complained of stomach pains, nausea and dizziness while others said they did not feel pain but had a fever.

Among those who developed a fever was the birthday celebrant’s grandmother.

Most of the victims claimed they ate both spaghetti and fried chicken while some said they ate only fried chicken.

Several of the victims were discharged shortly after receiving treatment.

Jacaba said personnel of the municipal sanitation office had taken samples of the spaghetti, fried chicken and salad for laboratory analysis.

The family said the dishes had been prepared and cooked on the day they were served.