135 doctors fall ill in salmonella outbreak at Mexico City General Hospital
At Mexico City General Hospital in Mexico, 135 doctors fell ill as a result of a salmonella outbreak. As of Thursday, 41 medical workers remained hospitalized, Mexico News Daily reports. The publication also reported that 15 doctors were in intensive care units.
Probable source of infection
Doctors began complaining of abdominal pain, diarrhea, a low-grade fever and vomiting last week. A source for the newspaper Reforma claimed that authorities did not respond to the medical workers’ initial complaints. An investigation was launched after the number of patients increased.
The source of infection was linked to a restaurant on the hospital grounds operated by the outside company Restaurantes Grogi. Most resident doctors ate there. The cafeteria was closed on Monday after a bacterial infection and concurrent E. coli contamination were confirmed. A preliminary analysis indicates that contaminated eggs may have caused the infection.
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Condition of those affected and inspection
Reforma reported that the condition of several doctors worsened due to delays in providing assistance: some developed kidney failure and hypovolemic shock. Premises that had previously housed relatives of patients undergoing long-term treatment were repurposed for the ill medical workers. They had not been used since the COVID-19 pandemic, but were reopened because the emergency department was overcrowded.
Officials cited by El País said that all those affected received medical care and were in stable condition. Health Minister David Kershenobich said on Friday that placing doctors in intensive care units, according to him, was not related to the severity of their symptoms, but was intended to provide space for admitting staff and rehydration.
The hospital administration is tracing and monitoring people who may have consumed contaminated food. According to El Financiero, Restaurantes Grogi has two federal contracts worth more than 333 million pesos, or $19.7 million, to service medical cafeterias. The contract terms provide for regular bacteriological testing of prepared meals.
