Nearly 90 people, more than half of them children, fell ill in Russia’s Siberian republic of Buryatia following a mass food poisoning outbreak, regional authorities said Monday.
Buryatia’s health minister Yevgeniya Ludupova said 89 cases of acute intestinal infection had been confirmed, including 11 cases of Salmonella.
At least 55 people remained hospitalized, with one patient in intensive care but showing signs of improvement.
Among those infected were 49 children, she added.
The outbreak began late Saturday in the regional capital of Ulan-Ude and was initially linked to ready-made food products sold in several local grocery stores.
The regional branch of federal investigative authorities opened a criminal case over the sale of food products that did not meet safety standards.
Health minister Ludupova identified the Vostok food manufacturer and the major regional food retail chain Nikolaevsky as those implicated in the outbreak.
She said most patients were in stable condition as of Monday morning.
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