Child food poisoning cases rise to 70 in East Siberia

KRASNOYARSK, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - The number of children hit by a relatively uncommon stomach infection in the East Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk since last week has risen to 70, the region's chief sanitary doctor said Wednesday.

A total of 46 children from the Solnechny summer camp were hospitalized on June 20 with the symptoms of yersiniosis, which is a bacterial infection usually contracted through the consumption of undercooked meat, milk, water or vegetables.

Sergei Kurkatov said on Wednesday that 65 children and one adult are currently in hospital while another four children from the same camp are receiving outpatient treatment.

In a separate development, a total of 19 children from the Shaktyor summer camp in the Krasnoyarsk Region have also been hospitalized and diagnosed with yersiniosis.

Doctors believe that the infection was caused by a vegetable salad, that all of the children ate. The disease, which occurs most often in young children, typically develops from four to seven days after exposure and may last up to three weeks.