More than 100 people have reportedly fallen ill from Salmonella poisoning after eating food at Chin Chin Chinese Restaurant in Springwood, South of Brisbane, last weekend.
Complainants include people from high risk groups including pregnant women, the elderly and children. People from these groups are especially susceptible to adverse effects from food poisoning. In this case however, it’s not just high risk customers suffering severe reactions and many Chin Chin customers have been hospitalised since consuming contaminated food.
One Facebook commenter reports that an area of the local Emergency Department has been set aside for those suffering from food poisoning after eating at Chin Chin. A five year old child being cared for at a local hospital is reportedly suffering from kidney failure as a result of the incident.
Diners affected by the outbreak visited Chin Chin restaurant on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th January. More than 30 complainants fell ill from dining at the restaurant on Saturday, with the rest falling ill on Sunday. In one group of 30 diners, 28 people suffered Salmonella poisoning.
The restaurant was closed down by Logan City Council on Monday while investigations take place. A spokesperson for the council confirmed that they are working with Queensland Health to investigate.
“We have taken steps under the Food Act 2006 to ensure there is no further risk until the outcome of the investigation is known,” she said. “We also encourage people would like to report any other alleged cases of illness to contact Queensland Health.”
At present it is unknown whether the food safety breach occurred as a result of poor food handling practices at the restaurant or due to contaminated supplies being used. Some outlets are reporting that the outbreak seems likely to have originated from raw egg products, which is another blow for food safety in Queensland after a government spokesperson claimed raw egg food safety issues to be a major threat for the G20 late last year.
Health authorities have warned those who may have eaten at the restaurant to remain in isolation for at least 24 to 48 hours after symptoms have subsided.