44 villagers admitted to hospital after consuming fish in Longleng

According to sources from Longleng, of the 44 individuals admitted to the hospital, 32 were youths who had gone to work as daily wage labourers in a paddy field on June 15 to raise funds. During lunch break, they cooked and consumed fish which was bought from a local shopkeeper earlier on June 14

DIMAPUR — A total of 44 people from Pongching village were admitted to District Hospital Longleng on June 16 after showing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, setting off alarms of possible food poisoning.

According to sources from Longleng, of the 44 individuals admitted to the hospital, 32 were youths who had gone to work as daily wage labourers in a paddy field on June 15 to raise funds. During lunch break, they cooked and consumed fish which was bought from a local shopkeeper earlier on June 14.  

It was reported that 30 out of the 32 youths who consumed the fish experienced physical sickness including diarrhoea and stomachache in the evening and night after coming back from the field, while the remaining two youths who abstained from eating the fish dish not display any symptoms and were in good health.

Fourteen other Phonching villagers including two children and some parents who also consumed the same fish, were also admitted to the hospital with symptoms of diarrhea and stomachache, the sources said.

Of the total 44 admitted, 21 are male, 21 female and two children (one male and one female). Till the time of filing of this report, two patients were discharged, while the rest are said to be stable but still in the hospital.

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It was also informed that samples of the cooked fish as well as fish from the fish vendor were collected and sent to the food analyst at the State Public Health Laboratory in Kohima on Saturday evening for testing, the result of which is awaited.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police, Longleng, in a press release issued on Sunday stated that police received information about “an incident of mass food poisoning” on Saturday around 11 am.

The SP said that representatives from the Food Safety department and the Chamber of Commerce Longleng also visited the District Hospital, along with police and civil administration for further action.

Confirming that samples of the cooked fish and also fish from the vendor were sent to the food analyst, the SP also informed that statements of the doctors, people, and the fish seller were recorded, and the fish shop sealed for further course of action.

“Further investigation is going on, and the public is requested to cooperate and refrain from any rumor-mongering,” the police appealed.