Anzoátegui mass food poisoning affects 20 people

At least 20 people, including 13 children, were hospitalized following a mass food poisoning incident in the Peñalver municipality of Anzoátegui, Venezuela. The incident occurred on Saturday, October 3, during a community gathering for a Christian group at a local inn in Puerto Píritu.

The victims consumed Chinese rice prepared at the establishment and subsequently reported symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Patients were initially transported to the Pedro Gómez Rollingson Hospital in Píritu.

Due to complications, several individuals were transferred to other facilities, including the Luis Razetti University Hospital and the Rafael Tobías Guevara Pediatric Annex in Barcelona. Reported cases include adults experiencing somnolence and others requiring oxygen, as well as a 16-year-old adolescent presenting with generalized tonic-clonic movements and an 11-year-old girl remaining under medical observation.

Local authorities have collected food samples and are investigating the preparation conditions to determine the cause of the intoxication.