A large group of workers from four different casinos – all connected to gaming operator Sociedade dos Jogos de Macau (SJM) – were diagnosed with food poisoning on the same night, the Health Bureau (SSM) has announced.
The health authority received a notification on Sunday night from both of the city’s hospitals, the Kiang Wu Hospital and the Conde S. Januário Hospital, about the collective gastroenteritis infection.
It is considered one single case involving a group of people from several locations. The collective infection involved many people – 53 precisely – of whom 13 are male and 40 are female. Their ages range from 26 to 60.
Each member of this large group of people works at one of the following properties: Jai Alai Oceanus, Grand Lisboa, Lisboa Hotel and the New Orient Landmark Hotel.
According to the SSM, the case has a seeming connection with an employee catering area for the four properties, as 32 of the group dined at the facility on May 1, while the others did so on some dates between April 30 and May 2.
The 43 with whom the SSM has had contact declared that they developed symptoms of diarrhoea, fever and vomiting from April 30, with three of them hospitalised.
The SSM believes there is a possibility that food poisoning was caused by microorganisms. The bureau has also notified the Municipal Affairs Bureau as part of a co-investigation.
(Macau Daily Times/Macau News)
