MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - A total of 41 people were hospitalized with food poisoning in the Volga Republic of Tatarstan from October 2 to October 5, a local police officer said Sunday.

The officer said all the victims visited a cafe in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan.

"Doctors believe they have contracted salmonellosis but this is a preliminary diagnosis," the police officer said.

Russia has been hit by a wave of food poisoning across the country recently.

A total of 153 children have been struck by an outbreak of food poisoning which has hit nurseries in two towns in the Stavropol Territory, southern Russia since Wednesday, local emergencies officials said Friday.

A preliminary probe revealed that a possible source of the infection is a fermented milk drink supplied to kindergartens. This is the fourth incident in the Stavropol Territory in the last three months. To date, over 500 people have been affected from poisoning from contaminated dairy products.