According to initial information, victims living in Dong Duong village, Xuan Truong commune, Ninh Binh province showed symptoms of nausea, abdominal pain, restlessness, and irritation after eating seeds in the fruit of bean sprouts - a plant with dangerous toxin-containing seeds.
Faced with the serious developments of the incident, the Food Safety Department requested the Ninh Binh Department of Health to direct medical facilities where patients are being treated to mobilize maximum manpower and vehicles, focus on rescue and treatment, ensuring that it does not affect the health and lives of patients.
In parallel with treatment work, the local health sector is required to organize investigations, trace the origin of food suspected of causing poisoning, take food samples and specimens for testing, and accurately determine the cause. In case of detecting violations of food safety, relevant units must strictly handle them according to regulations and publicize the results to promptly warn the community.
The Ministry of Health also requested Ninh Binh province to strengthen propaganda and guidance for people and food production and business establishments in the area to strictly implement food safety regulations, especially controlling the origin and source of raw materials, ensuring hygiene in the process of preliminary processing, processing and transportation. People are advised to only use food that is safe, properly preserved and still within its expiration date, and avoid using plant parts that may contain toxins such as bean sprouts.
In addition, Ninh Binh Department of Health must strictly implement Directive No. 38/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on strengthening food poisoning prevention, along with Official Dispatch No. 2633/BYT-ATTP of the Ministry of Health on ensuring food safety and preventing fake food and food poisoning.
The Food Safety Department requests localities to fully report the investigation and handling results to the Department in accordance with regulations.
On the evening of January 8, Hai Hau General Hospital (Ninh Binh) received 6 cases of poisoning (4 adults, 2 children) in Xuan Truong commune, Ninh Binh province after eating bean seeds. The patients were admitted to the hospital in a state of nausea, severe abdominal pain, cyanosis, and consciousness disorders. After first aid, all were transferred to Nam Dinh Provincial General Hospital, of which 2 severe cases continued to be transferred to Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) in a coma.
According to doctors, bean seeds contain rotenone toxin, a type of toxin that can damage the nervous system and digestive system, just eating a small amount can lead to severe poisoning, threatening life, especially in children.
