Seventy people have now been diagnosed with meningitis after
eating parasite-infested snails in Beijing, reports the Beijing
Health Bureau on Tuesday.
Sixteen of those who contracted the disease are gravely ill and
are being treated in hospital.
City health authorities are monitoring reported cased of the
parasite-caused disease and so far six hospitals have reported a
combined 70 patients with meningitis.
According to the bureau, the youngest patient is 13 years old
and the oldest is 51. All of the patients ate raw or undercooked
Amazonian snails four to two weeks ago in restaurants serving
Sichuan-style dishes. The restaurant was ordered to suspend selling
the snail dishes on August 8.
The bureau is trying to trace the suppliers of the snails
contaminated with eel worms.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)
