45 People Suffer Severe Illness After Attending Municipal Conference
A conference held at Elmia on October 26th by municipal managers in Jönköping municipality has resulted in a major health scare. A week after the conference, the company that provided the food notified the environmental office about a suspected disease outbreak. Soon after, several employees reported severe stomach ailments with symptoms including stomach pains and diarrhea.
A total of 45 people have been affected by the outbreak, with many being forced to stay at home for a week. Environmental and health protection inspector Emelie Sjöstrand believes that something in the food served at the conference has become contaminated. “We are now working on infection tracking, and samples we have taken indicate that the outbreak is not due to how staff have handled the food that was served,” Sjöstrand told Jönköpings-Posten.
The CEO of the catering company responsible for providing the food expressed disappointment and emphasized that they have strict procedures in place for handling food. “We handle very large quantities of food and have well-established procedures on how to do this,” the CEO said. “It is never possible to be 100 percent protected, and this applies to both food prepared in restaurants and food prepared in one’s own home.”
The incident has raised concerns about food safety and highlighted the risks associated with large gatherings and events. The local health authorities are actively working to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread of the illness. As the investigation continues, affected individuals are being urged to seek medical attention and report any symptoms they may be experiencing.