• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Six individuals, including five children, reportedly fell ill in an alleged case of food poisoning after consuming seashells gathered from the coastal waters of Purok Roma, Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City.
Barangay Chief Rosinie Distrito has issued a temporary ban on gathering shellfish in the area following the incident, which occurred last week.
According to reports, the mother gathered various shells, including mussels on Thursday, which the family consumed for breakfast on the following morning.
By Friday afternoon, all six family members began experiencing symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and tremors.
Three individuals were admitted to the hospital, with the two already discharged, while one minor remains admitted at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital for further observation.
The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) dispatched personnel to the family’s residence to conduct an investigation, disinfected household items, and collected water samples from the coastal area for laboratory testing.
Distrito clarified that the CHO has yet to release official medical findings to confirm the exact cause of the illness.
He urged residents experiencing the same symptoms to immediately report to barangay.
As a safety precaution, the barangay official advised residents to avoid harvesting shellfish near areas with high waste accumulation.*
