Dozens poisoned after eating 'washed' crayfish
- Source: Global Times
- [01:27 August 24 2010]
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By Lin Meilian
Dozens of people in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, suffered from food poisoning after eating crayfish suspected of being contaminated by a type of powder used to wash them, according to local hospitals.
Zhang Kexin, an official from the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, told the Global Times Monday that about 13 residents had been admitted to the hospital after eating crayfish since July and that 11 of them have since been discharged.
"We need further tests to confirm the cause, but these patients all felt sick about five hours after eating crayfish," Zhang said. "We believe that it is linked to the powder that was used to wash the crayfish."
Unlike usual cases of food poisoning, the patients reportedly did not suffer from normal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, but instead suffered muscle pain and renal failure. Doctors at the hospital diagnosed it as rhabdomyolysis, the rapid destruction of skeletal muscle, Zhang said.
Some patients are said to have eaten crayfish in restaurants where they use special "washing powder" to get rid of the dirt.
Xiaogong, 21, was one of the victims. She and her mother were sent to hospital Friday after eating more than 10 crayfish with her family.
"Hours later, I felt pain all over my body and had difficulty breathing," she was quoted by the Yangtze Evening News as saying.
A 27-year-old woman surnamed Cheng had similar symptoms hours after eating crayfish she cooked for herself.
Zhang added that it is not the first time that residents have suffered food poisoning after eating crayfish, but previous cases only led to minor symptoms.
"Maybe it is because the living environment of crayfish is getting worse due to the pollution, or maybe the way they cooked and cleaned the crayfish was wrong," he said.
Food poisoning killed 56 people and sickened 2,452 others between January and May this year. About half of the deaths from food poisoning occurred at home, according to the Ministry of Health.
