Earlier this month, a laksa stall in Kupang, Baling, Kedah, in the north of the country, was found to be the ground-zero source for a spate of serious food poisoning incidents. Two individuals died, with 83 cases recorded across three separate Malaysian states, were recorded by health authorities.
Initial suspicions that the exact source of the illnesses was the noodle component of the dish were today confirmed by the Health Ministry, with the exact bacteria “salmonella enterica serovar weltevreden” being named as the culprit.
Extensive tests at the Sungai Buloh National Public Health Laboratory and the Penang Food Safety and Quality Laboratory found positive results for the bacteria in both clinical samples from the patients, as well as the laksa itself.
Noodles purchased from the stall on October 4 had the bacteria. The noodles were prepared at an offsite processing center, also owned by the stall owner. Possible risk in contamination could have occurred at several stages of the noodle-making process, either in unclean storage, or preparation. Later, when the laksa was served, the temperature it was prepared at was not sufficiently hot enough to kill the bacteria.
In total 83 were affected, with two deaths after suffering very serious symptoms. The salmonella bacteria that was found causes fever, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, which could lead to serious complications is medical attention is not sought in time.
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