40 hospitalized due to food poisoning

MATALAM, Cotabato, Philippines — Forty people were rushed to a hospital due to recurring abdominal pains, nausea and diarrhea in this town on Saturday.

The hospitalization came three days after the patients consumed food served during a family gathering on Tuesday.

The patients, most of them are related, were guests in a betrothal ceremony held in a farming village, according to Matalam Vice Mayor Ralph Ryan Rafael.

Rafael himself was present in the event hosted by two known clans in the municipality, but he was not among those who fell ill.

Authorities said the patients’ stool tested positive for bacteria that causes amoebic dysentery.

The municipal disaster risk reduction and management office provided medical assistance to the victims.