Fifteen individuals in Hong Kong have fallen ill after consuming vanilla-flavored ice cream at restaurants within the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong hotel.
Incident Details
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health reported that the incident involved three restaurants: Grand Café, Grissini, and One Harbour Road.
Patient Demographics and Symptoms
The affected individuals include nine males and six females, aged between 3 and 42, with at least six being children. Symptoms, including abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, appeared 15 to 65 hours after consuming the ice cream. Four required hospitalization but have since been discharged. All patients are in stable condition.
Laboratory Findings
Stool specimens from six patients tested positive for Salmonella, with four isolates identified as Salmonella Enteritidis.
Response and Investigations
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) inspected the premises and the ice cream production kitchen. Production and sale of the implicated ice cream were suspended, and thorough cleaning and disinfection were conducted. To date, no Salmonella has been detected in the ice cream, vanilla oil, environmental samples, or staff stool samples. FEHD will consider prosecution if sufficient evidence is found.
Other Outbreaks
In a separate incident, CHP is investigating an outbreak affecting nine individuals linked to a restaurant in The Kimberley Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui. The patients, aged 7 to 82, fell ill after consuming a buffet, which included cold seafood platters and desserts. Seven sought medical advice, and three were hospitalized. One patient’s stool specimen tested positive for Salmonella.
Following an inspection, FEHD found unsatisfactory hygiene conditions, including improper storage of raw and cooked food and inadequate refrigerator temperatures. Operations were suspended pending a positive review by FEHD.
Additional Cases
CHP is also investigating an outbreak in Mong Kok, where eight individuals fell ill after eating grilled oysters and lamb skewers. The patients, aged 17 to 49, are suspected to have contracted norovirus and/or Salmonella due to poor cooking practices. The restaurant has been instructed to suspend the sale of related food and undertake cleaning and disinfection.
Ciguatera Poisoning Incident
Earlier this month, four individuals suffered from Ciguatera poisoning after consuming fish at home. The patients, aged 17 to 77, experienced symptoms including limb weakness, numbness, and diarrhea within four to 15 hours. Two were hospitalized. The fish was purchased from a market stall in Cheung Sha Wan.
“Most people affected by ciguatoxin will recover without long-term health effects, but excessive toxin consumption can impact the circulatory and nervous systems. The toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking,” said a CHP spokesman.
