A suspected food poisoning incident at a Hi-Lai Harbour restaurant at Kaohsiung Arena was not caused by norovirus or rotavirus, but might have been caused by pathogenic bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
Testing for viral pathogens was negative for the two common causes of diarrhea, CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said.
As of 9am on Monday, the number of people who had sought medical attention after dining at the upscale buffet restaurant in Zuoying District (左營) on Friday and Saturday last week had increased to 52 since Saturday, when 11 diners were first reported to have fallen ill, the Kaohsiung Health Department said in a statement.
All of the 52 people reported diarrhea and abdominal pain, while a handful also reported nausea and vomiting, the department said.
It had previously collected specimens from seven people who fell ill after eating at the branch and from 48 employees who handle food at the restaurant, as well as food samples.
Testing on the customers and employees came back negative for viral pathogens, meaning it is likely that pathogenic bacteria were involved, Tseng said.
Common bacteria that cause foodborne illness include Vibrio parahaemolyticus, salmonella, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae and Clostridium botulinum, she said, adding that testing was being conducted to clarify the situation.
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