Gastro outbreak: Coroner steps in

The Coroner will investigate a possible link between the death of a 49-year-old Doncaster man and a gastroenteritis outbreak

The Coroner will investigate a possible link between the death of a 49-year-old Doncaster man and a gastroenteritis outbreak that has left six people in hospital and dozens more suffering illness.A Vietnamese restaurant in Melbourne’s western suburbs has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak, and has been shut down indefinitely by health authorities.The Doncaster man was found dead on Tuesday night, three days after it is believed a family member bought meat rolls from the Thanh Phu Restaurant and Take Away in Nicholson Street, Footscray.The man’s mother is believed to have eaten the rolls and was among those admitted to hospital with food poisoning symptoms.Victoria’s Department of Human Services said yesterday that 67 cases of gastroenteritis had been linked to the restaurant, up from 38 cases on Tuesday.”This tragic event, if it is related to the rolls, would illustrate that this is not something to be taken lightly,” the state’s chief health officer, Robert Hall, said.”Certainly, in the past, there have been outbreaks and even individual cases where food-borne disease has resulted in severe illness or even death.”Preliminary results from patient tests have indicated that the cause may be salmonella, the department said.Dr Hall said death from salmonella was rare, but relatively quick. He said people who had eaten food from the restaurant should seek medical attention if they were showing symptoms including stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhoea.The restaurant will not be allowed to re-open until the department declares it safe.Eric Sekkouah, his wife Haifa and a friend, Anthony, bought barbecued chicken and pork rolls from the restaurant on Saturday.Yesterday Mr Sekkouah was in bed at the Western Hospital. Another five people, including a nine-year-old girl, were in hospitals around Melbourne. All were described as being in stable condition.”I’m pretty emotional about it. It’s caused us a lot of pain (and) it’s wasted a lot of my time,” Mr Sekkouah said.”If somebody is running a busy restaurant like that, the least they could do is make sure that they’re running the place in accordance with the health regulations.”Restaurants found to be in breach of new food safety laws passed last year can be fined up to $200,000. Individuals can be fined up to $40,000.Maribyrnong City Council said it was working with officers from the Department of Human Services to determine the precise cause of the outbreak.General practitioners had been alerted and were being contacted to determine if they had been any further cases linked to the outbreak, Dr Hall said.The owner of the restaurant told Channel Seven that he was shocked about the man’s death. “I am so sorry… we have a responsibility (with) everything we do,” the owner said.The outbreak is Victoria’s worst case of suspected food contamination since last March, when more than 250 people ended up in hospital after eating at an Islamic centre in Melbourne’s north.In March, 1997, more than 500 people became ill after eating contaminated pork rolls from an outlet in Springvale.(Source: The Age, by Jamie Berry)