22 people suffered from paratyphoid fever after eating raw roasted and raw oysters, a 10-year high | Zhongshi News Network | LINE TODAY

Chinese people who love raw food are prone to getting sick from eating it! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on the 28th that since 2023, there have been a total of 22 confirmed cases of local paratyphoid fever, a 10-year high, and one of them died. According to the epidemic survey, the confirmed cases often ate grilled oysters, raw oysters, raw shrimps, sashimi, raw scallops and other undercooked foods before becoming infected. Due to concerns about the ongoing local transmission chain, the CDC launched a special investigation. Conduct whole-genome sequencing analysis and comparison of strains to clarify possible sources of infection.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of November 27 this year, there have been a total of 23 confirmed cases of paratyphoid fever, 22 local cases and 1 imported case from Indonesia. The number of cases has hit a new high from the same period from 2014 to 2022. The local cases are all of local nationality. The majority of the cases are young people aged 20-29, accounting for 50%. Their residences are distributed in 11 counties and cities in the north, central and south. They are sporadic, with the most common onset time in October.

One of the fatal cases was a man in his 50s from the north. He developed diarrhea while being hospitalized for cancer. Bacteria were isolated from his feces, but he did not eat raw food during the hospitalization. His family members who accompanied him also tested negative. There were no suspected symptoms in the ward. The source of the bacteria is currently unknown. He passed away. The cause was determined to be cancer.

Luo Yijun, deputy director of the Department of Disease Control and Prevention, said that most of the confirmed cases of paratyphoid fever are young people. Epidemic surveys have found that most infected people go to restaurants, night markets, fishing ports and other stores to eat raw grilled oysters, raw oysters, etc. There is currently no human-to-human or group-to-human transmission. The symptoms are mostly fever, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, skin rash, etc.

Why is it particularly serious this year? Luo Yijun said that after the epidemic was lifted, the outside world was worried that paratyphoid fever might be caused by immigrants from abroad. However, there is currently no evidence that it was caused by immigrants from abroad. The worry is that there is a local transmission chain in progress. The CDC has collected strains and will conduct full genome sequencing. To compare, if any suspicious ingredients are found in subsequent investigations, we will investigate with the Food and Drug Administration.

Lin Yongqing, an epidemic prevention physician of the CDC, explained that paratyphoid fever is a second-category notifiable infectious disease. It is an intestinal infectious disease caused by Bacillus paratyphi. It is mainly transmitted through the consumption of food or drinking water contaminated by the feces or urine of patients or carriers. Transmission, the incubation period is usually 1 to 10 days, and the infectious period is 1 to 2 weeks. Common symptoms include persistent fever, headache, malaise, anorexia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, relative bradycardia, or rash on the trunk. Avoid eating raw foods and drinks. Food must be fully heated and cooked before consumption. Cross-contamination of raw and cooked foods should also be avoided during cooking and preparation.