Over 20 hospitalized after eating ‘banh mi’ in north-central Vietnam

Doctors at Dien Chau General Hospital said patients began arriving between Friday and Saturday morning, with numbers rising sharply by the evening.

Most patients suffered from vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and, in some cases, high fever.

Patients ranged in age from four to 85 and came from several localities, including Dien Ngoc, Dien Hoa, Dien Tho, and Dien Bich.

Hoang Thi Thanh Loan, head of the hospital’s infectious disease department, reported that the hospital is treating 25 patients for food poisoning.

She added that 20 of them had eaten banh mi from a shop identified as Q. in Dien Chau, while the remaining five consumed other foods such as cakes, mangoes, pineapple, and stir-fried snails.

While some patients’ conditions have stabilized, doctors said close monitoring is still required because of their persistent digestive symptoms.

Local authorities have inspected the suspected shop and collected food samples and patient specimens for testing to determine the cause.