Stool samples from two foreign children who suffered suspected food poisoning after joining a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Ho Chi Minh City were positive for salmonella bacteria, the municipal health authority confirmed on Thursday morning.

The siblings, aged 12 and six, are living with their parents at the Palm Heights apartment complex in Thu Duc City, an administrative district of Ho Chi Minh City.

They sampled different dishes at a party to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival held at the apartment complex on Friday last week.

The siblings developed symptoms of probable food poisoning later and were taken to a nearby clinic on Sunday.

The six-year-old, who experienced abdominal pain and diarrhea, was diagnosed with stomach flu and probable bacterial gastroenteritis.

The 12-year-old, who suffered much more abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea, was confirmed by the clinic to have a high white blood cell count and enteritis.

They had their stool samples collected for PCR tests which came back positive for salmonella bacteria.

Their health has improved.

Earlier, a six-year-old girl died of suspected food poisoning late Sunday evening after she ate cream puffs taken from the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration held at the Palm Heights apartment complex.

Three other members in her family also showed symptoms of probable food poisoning.

By Tuesday afternoon, 48 people had complained of digestive disorders and 19 had had to seek medical attention after eating the cream puffs served at the event.

Health experts in the city said on Wednesday that it was the cream puffs that probably caused poisoning.

The cream puffs might be contaminated as all the food poisoning cases at the event exhibited similar symptoms of bacterial infection, including abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and high white blood cell counts, among others.

The health authority is working to determine the root cause of the bacterial infections.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!