New suspected ‘banh mi’ food poisoning sends 42 to hospital in Ho Chi Minh City

Ba Ria General Hospital said it had admitted dozens of patients from Phu My Ward suffering severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

About 15 of them have been treated in its infectious disease unit and others have been cared for in internal medicine and pediatric wards.

Hospital officials said all 42 patients reported eating ‘banh mi’ from the N.H. shop in Phu My Ward last Friday before falling ill.

Some patients with mild symptoms were discharged after treatment, while others remain under observation, the hospital said.

The hospital collected samples for testing to determine the cause of the suspected poisoning and has reported the incident to Ho Chi Minh City’s health authorities.

Phu My was a city in old Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province before it was reorganized as a ward following the province’s merger into Ho Chi Minh City in July.