SAMUT PRAKAN — Health officials on Wednesday said they found a strain of bacteria inside dumplings sold by a street vendor after a customer died from what’s suspected to be food poisoning.
More than 20 people in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district fell in over the past week after they ate dumplings sold by a motorcycle cart vendor on Friday, prompting officials to launch an investigation.
One of the customers, Thanu Changphuprangam, 66, died after she reportedly ate the dumplings and had severe diarrhea.
A sample of the suspected kanom jeeb was brought for a lab analysis. Officials announced today that a type of bacteria was found, though they are still unsure whether it led to the food poisoning.
“Preliminary results found a bacteria inside the dumplings,” director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences Opas Karnkavinpong said. “However, we can’t determine whether it is the cause of illness.”
Opas did not identify which bacteria was found. He said officials are conducting field investigation to collect more samples and trace the source of food poisoning outbreak.
The vendor, who only identified herself to the media as Mint, said she was shocked after learning that one of her customers died. She said her shop has been open for many years without incidents.
“I asked other vendors who brought the dumplings from the same supplier and none of them reported any irregularities,” Mint said. “I don’t know what is happening. I want to apologize to the relatives of the deceased and I want officials to investigate this because I don’t want to be blamed unfairly.”
Bang Sao Thong police inspector Chakkrapong Khunprom said the daughter of the deceased has brought a complaint against the vendor, but the police have to wait for completed results from the lab before filing any charges.
