Chef’s stool sample test positive for a toxin in food poisoning cluster case｜Taiwan News

As investigations into a Taipei food poisoning cluster continue, a chef has been found to have traces of the toxin Bongkrekic acid in his stool. Investigators say the toxin may have entered the chef’s body during the cooking process, but the chef did not become ill, and has no traces of the toxin in his blood. Meanwhile, the last person to become ill after eating at the restaurant associated with the cluster is also the first to test negative for the toxin. The female patron said she had symptoms of diarrhea and nausea after eating fried noodles at the restaurant.

In the latest update in a cluster of food poisonings at chain restaurant Polam Kopitiam’s Xinyi branch, Bongkrekic acid was found in a sample of a chef’s stool. Previous samples taken from the hands of the substitute chef, surnamed Hu, also showed traces of the toxin. Investigators on Sunday said Hu is now the key defendant in the case, which resulted in two deaths, and the hospitalization of seven others.

Voice of Victor Wang
Deputy health minister
We were also concerned about the chef’s physical condition, but blood results came back with normal values. We didn’t find Bongkrekic acid in his blood or urine. It’s possible that he consumed it, and the concentration was very low. So it didn’t have an impact on his body, and was subsequently metabolized.

However, environmental tests at the restaurant and at the chef’s home came out negative for any traces of the toxin. Commenting on the situation, one doctor said it could be a rare case where an individual carries a pathogen without being affected by it.

Chiang Kuan-yu
Internal medicine doctor
In such a case, there is a balance between the host’s immune system and the toxin produced by the pathogen, and it does not cause any symptoms to the host. This would not necessarily be the case with the immune systems of others.

The doctor also cited past studies, saying that it is very difficult to completely wash off traces of Bongkrekic acid, and that doing so effectively would require repeated application of complex chemical solutions. Meanwhile, a 39-year-old woman who got sick after eating fried noodles at the restaurant has been added to the list of those affected in the case. The woman developed diarrhea, nausea and general fatigue, but tested negative for traces of Bongkrekic acid. In total, among the 34 people reported in the case, 32 have tested positive for the toxin. Four individuals linked to the case are still in the intensive care unit.

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