Cause of food poisoning still unknown
STA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur - Police authorities are still awaiting results of the food sample examination from Manila to conclude the investigation on a suspected food poisoning incident that killed two siblings last Thursday, May 17.
Senior Insp. Arnold Absin, the Sta. Cruz police chief, told Sun. Star that they cannot yet determine if it was the pork stew or the sea food eaten by the family that caused victims vomiting and stomach pain.
Absin said Jobert Rusia, the father, went home with a pork stew, which he got from a neighboring family preparing for a wedding reception in Barangay Bitaug.
He said Jobert, his wife and their three children had the pork stew for dinner.
But a few minutes later, all of its family members, including a relative who joined them, suffered vomiting and nausea, and were rushed to a hospital here.
Jolly Mar, 5; and Joe Marie, 3, both died while being treated.
The mother, Marina, 32; her other child Jenrose, 1; and Adoniper, 11, a relative were already out from hospital confinement but they needed financial assistance to buy for their continuing medications.
Absin said that the family also ate sea shells about 4 p.m. before eating the pork stew at 7:30 p.m.
Their neighbors also ate the same type of sea shells but did not show any sign of illness.
He said he had suspected that it was the pork stew that made them sick.
The Sta. Cruz health office had already taken samples of the pork stew for analysis but result was still pending because it was sent to the Department of Health in Manila.
It was also learned that the wedding pushed through on Friday but the pork stew was no longer served to the guests.