MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Food poisoning in southern Chile

More food poisoning cases from consumption of raw molluscs have been reported in the area of Puerto Montt and Osorno, to the north of Punta Arenas. According to Chilean sanitary authorities quoted in the Chilean press a possible cause is the bacteria “vibrio para haemolyticus” which has been detected in many patients

Puerto Montt sanitary officials indicated that in the last 24 hours (Friday/early Saturday) 93 adults and 10 minors received medical attention plus another 60 that have been reported in areas normally supplied with sea food from Puerto Montt. Carmen Gloria Zamorano an epidemiologist from the Puerto Montt sanitary service said that it was highly recommendable not to consume any sea food, molluscs or crustaceans, raw or cooked, until "we definitively determine and locate the origin of the extensive food poisoning". Dr. Rodrigo Martínez Director of the Chiloé and Palena health service pointed out that "symptoms are similar (diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain) and we're concerned about the outbreak and the number of people affected, however it's more important to find out where the molluscs come from, and if this coincides with the banned extraction area". The area of Puerto Montt is suffering from an unprecedented heat wave, insufficient rainfall and low tides. Although Dr. Martínez was reluctant to establish a link, it is believed that the extraction of molluscs in coastal areas under these climatic conditions could be connected to the current epidemic