Longleng: June 15 food poisoning due to unhygienic handling of food

June 28, 2023 27 Views No Comment

DIMAPUR, JUNE 28 (MExN): On the case of food poisoning of 43 people from Ponching village, Longleng on June 15 reportedly after eating ‘contaminated’ fish, the Chief Medical Officer’s office Longleng on Tuesday said the food contamination was actually due to unhygienic food handling and presence of E. Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria.

The CMO in a press statement said the food contamination was determined by the State Public Health Laboratory (SPHL) lab to be bacterial, namely Streptococcus Aureus, E. Coli & Yeast and mold. It stated that the presence of S. Aureus in cooked food indicates unhygienic handling of food and the presence of E. Coli in cooked food is an indicator of fecal contamination and also a sign of unhygienic handling of food.

It further stated that food borne molds and yeast may be hazardous to human health because of the ability to produce toxin metabolite known as mycotoxins. Pesticides in the fish samples were found to be below the maximum residue limit as per Food Safety and Standard Regulation, 2021 thereby ruling out contaminants in fish as the cause, it added.

In this connection, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), in a separate press statement, informed that the fish shop at Longleng town which was sealed earlier was re-opened by the District Administration, along with Chamber of Commerce and Longleng Police on June 26.

The DC said following a thorough investigation and analysis conducted by the SPHL and the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) regarding the recent outbreak of acute gastroenteritis in Pongching village, it has been determined that the suspected source of contaminated fish is not responsible for the outbreak.

Based on the findings of the analysis, it has been established that the fish sample does not contain any harmful contaminants that could be linked to the occurrence of acute gastroenteritis. As a result, there is no evidence to suggest that the outbreak is related to the fish shops in the area, it stated.

The DC also ordered the immediate reopening of all fish shops/establishments in Longleng town. This decision has been taken after careful consideration of the investigation results, and it is deemed safe for normal business operations to resume without further delay, it stated.

All shop owners and residents were also advised to continue following standard hygiene practices, such as proper hand washing, food safety measures, and maintaining a clean environment, and to remain vigilant and report any unusual health concerns to the appropriate authorities for timely action.

Similarly, the CMO advised the public on ways to prevent such outbreak in the future by maintaining clean hygiene, specially hand washing (before and after handling animal products), to properly wash the utensils that are used for handling animal products, not to consume raw or partially cooked animal products, to drink filtered or boiled water, and to seek medical attention without delay.