Three children were poisoned after eating pork sausage sold by street vendors.

Ho Chi Minh City – Three brothers aged 10-14 exhibited unusual symptoms after eating Vietnamese pork sausage. Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital and Children's Hospital 2 diagnosed them with botulinum poisoning.

The children and their aunt bought pork sausage from a street vendor of unknown origin and ate it with bread on May 13th. By afternoon, all four experienced stomach pain, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, fatigue, and body aches. Three of the children gradually developed muscle weakness.

The following day, the three children were admitted to Children's Hospital 2 in a state of exhaustion, drooping eyelids, weakness in both legs, respiratory failure, requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation, with muscle strength of approximately 4/5. Their aunt suffered mild poisoning and was not hospitalized.

Doctors at Children's Hospital 2 consulted with doctors from the Department of Tropical Diseases at Cho Ray Hospital, and tests confirmed that the patients were infected with botulinum toxin.

Patients poisoned by this toxin must receive the antidote as soon as possible; delays can lead to muscle paralysis and respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation for 3-6 months. Vietnam only has two vials of botulinum antitoxin left, currently held by the General Hospital in the northern mountainous region of Quang Nam after treating patients who ate fermented salted fish in March. Doctors are quickly coordinating the supply of the antidote to Ho Chi Minh City.

In the early morning of May 16th, the medication was transported to Ho Chi Minh City and injected into the three children. An hour later, all the children were stable and showed no signs of anaphylaxis. Doctors continued to monitor and re-examine the children's health every four hours.

A doctor examines one of the three children suffering from botulinum poisoning. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

Botulinum is an extremely potent neurotoxin produced by anaerobic bacteria – bacteria that thrive in enclosed environments such as canned food, or food environments that do not meet the standards for inhibiting bacterial growth.

Symptoms of botulinum poisoning include abdominal pain, muscle pain, fatigue, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, and generalized muscle weakness. Eventually, the patient experiences difficulty breathing or respiratory failure due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles. The onset of these signs varies depending on the amount of botulinum ingested.

Experts advise people to cook food thoroughly and boil water before drinking, and to choose food from reliable sources that is of good quality and safe. Be cautious with sealed foods that have changed in smell or color, and with canned goods that are bulging or open.

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