Thirteen people were admitted to the Leiria Hospital Center between Friday and Saturday, with suspected food toxicosis, with seven being hospitalized for observation, announced the Regional Health Administration of the Center.
In a statement sent on Saturday night to the Lusa agency, the Public Health Department (DSP) of the Regional Health Administration of the Center (ARS-Centro) explained that, since Friday and until 20:00 on Saturday, “13 cases were observed at the Leiria Hospital Center, aged between 30 and 77 years, seven females and six males”.
The situation led to an investigation that “is still ongoing and included the application of questionnaires to identify symptoms and suspicious exposures, including food consumption at different family meals”.
As part of this investigation, which also involved the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE), “samples of suspect food products were collected for laboratory investigation” and “the suspect food products that could be identified were sequestered from marketing and the clinical services were alerted to the possible arrival of new patients”.
“Six patients have been discharged improved and uneventful so far and seven [remained] hospitalized with favorable evolution, except for one case whose condition inspires care,” the note reads.
According to the same text, the symptoms observed “were predominantly neurological, namely dryness of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, pupillary dilation, blurred vision, dizziness, mental confusion and decreased muscle strength”.
There were also 12 cases with mild symptoms that did not seek health services and “seven affected families were identified”.
The Lusa agency contacted several sources linked to the matter throughout the day, from ARS-Centro to ASAE, but so far it has not been possible to obtain more details about what happened.
