RIYADH, 24 June — The number of people hospitalized for food poisoning after they took shawarma sandwiches at a local restaurant rose to 50 by Friday evening, press reports said yesterday.
“The victims included 22 children. A one-and-a-half year-old girl was admitted to the intensive care unit,” Al-Watan Arabic daily quoted Khaled Al-Hamdan, acting director of Prince Salman Hospital, as saying.
The first cases of food poisoning was reported on Thursday morning when a family of seven, who had taken shawarma from Al-Towfeer Restaurant in Areeja, west of Riyadh, were admitted to the hospital due to extreme stomach pain and diarrhea.
According to Al-Watan, the hospital was still receiving cases of food poisoning Friday evening. It said the number of victims would go up further. All the victims had taken sandwiches from the restaurant on Wednesday.
“All victims are in stable condition; we don’t fear any fatalities,” said Dr. Ehab, a medical consultant at the hospital. He added that 32 patients have already left the hospital. “Eighteen patients, including 11 children, are under observation,” he added.
Dr. Muad Al-Teraiky, a pediatrician, said the symptoms of food poisoning among children were different from one another. Iman, the baby girl who was in the ICU, was hit by salmonella, a red-shaped bacterium. “She has passed the critical stage and her condition is now stable,” said Al-Teraiky.
Muyasser Al-Motairy, a citizen accompanying two patients, said his brother Nasir showed symptoms of food poisoning Thursday morning while his young sister fell sick on Friday. Informed sources said Al-Towfeer Restaurant reopened on Friday.
Police sealed off the restaurant on Thursday after first reports of food poisoning emerged. They also questioned workers at the restaurant.
