An official from An Giang Province visits a victim of food poisoning caused by bacteria called Bacillus cereusin. — Photo plo.vn

AN GIANG — A type of bacteria called Bacillus cereus, a foodborne pathogen that can produce toxins, has been identified as a cause of the food poisoning that killed one and affected more than 80 others in the southern province of An Giang.

They became ill after eating white bean soup, according to the province’s Food Safety and Hygiene Division on Friday.

The soup sample was sent to the Institute of Public Health Hồ Chí Minh City, which then concluded that the soup contained Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Coliforms, Shigella and Bacillus cereus.

Food poisoning caused by Bacillus cereus is an acute intoxication that occurs when this microorganism produces toxins, causing two types of gastrointestinal illness: an emetic (vomiting) syndrome or a diarrhoeal syndrome.

On February 4, as many as 84 people in Long Điền Commune suffered a range of health diseases including stomach ache, vomiting, and fever after eating the soup delivered for free by a local woman.

Among them, 53 people recovered after taking medicine and 31 were sent to health facilities for treatment, of which four were transferred to the general hospital due to the severity of their conditions.

The woman delivering charitable soup said she prepared 20kg of white bean, 8kg of sticky rice, 10kg of coconut flesh, and 24kg of sugar to make soup on February 3 and deliver it for free to local residents and passersby. — VNS