Over the last week, 61 cases of food poisoning have been attributed to the consumption of laksa purchased from a hawker stall in the north of the country. Today, reports have emerged that there are suspicions that the cause may have been the noodles used in the dish, after a group of over 20 reported to consume only that ingredient from the stall, and later became ill.
An official from the Health Ministry told local outlet The Star that one family purchased the noodles from the suspected source stall, and took the goods back home to Selangor to cook, using other ingredients procured from their home for the gathering. Most of those in attendance later came down with symptoms of food poisoning, although only three were ultimately hospitalized.
As previously reported, two individuals died this week after coming down with severe symptoms.
Final lab results of the food have yet to passed on to the Health Ministry, although authorities have concluded from two stool samples from victims that salmonella was present.
Health officials have also stressed to the public that rumors of links between the tainted laksa and iceberg lettuce carry no credence, and should not be believed, nor continued to be shared on social media.
In total, the 61 cases have been detected across three different states: Kedah (24), Perak (16) and Selangor (21).
Twenty-one individuals have been hospitalized in various hospitals in the three states and 38 others required outpatient treatment.
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