69 hospitalised for food poisoning

During the first eight months of this year, 69 persons were admitted to Mater Dei Hospital suffering from food poisoning.

In reply to a question raised in parliament by Labour MP Noel Farrugia, Health Minister Joe Cassar said that these cases included infections of the gastroenterological system caused by virus transmitted through food.

Cassar said the information was gathered through the Hospital Activity Analysis and the Electronic Case Summary.

The health minister said that the 69 figure did not include patients who were visited by the hospital's emergency unit but were not admitted as patients and asked to remain in hospital.

Cassar added that the information was provisional.