Forty guests suffer food poisoning and one man is in intensive care after Malaga village wedding

One of the patients, a 39-year-old man with pre-existing conditions, remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Axarquía regional hospital after suffering from septic shock, according to sources close to the investigation who have confirmed this to SUR.

The incident has prompted the activation of health protocols to try to identify the source of the outbreak, after numerous guests developed symptoms consistent with food poisoning.

Initial tests have confirmed a positive stool culture for salmonella, while the results of a further five samples are still pending.

Those in charge of the epidemiological investigation have begun gathering information from those present to determine which foods may have triggered the outbreak.

So far, 28 people have been interviewed, of whom 17 fell ill and a further 11 showed no symptoms. Sources consulted by this newspaper have emphasised that those affected have developed severe clinical symptoms, although most are making a good recovery.

The most serious case is that of a 39-year-old patient in intensive care, who has risk factors due to pre-existing conditions and has suffered from septic shock. According to the same sources, this is the only person who has required hospitalisation, while the others affected have received treatment at health centres and are continuing their recovery at home. Investigators are now working to determine the full extent of the food poisoning, which has affected a very high proportion of those who attended the reception.

Initial investigations point to one of the appetisers served during the celebration - specifically a prawn kebab served with sauce - as the possible source of the food poisoning.

According to sources close to the investigation who spoke to SUR, preliminary analysis of the surveys shows that this item was consumed more frequently by the guests who fell ill than by those who did not develop symptoms. However, this is currently merely an epidemiological hypothesis, pending laboratory results that will determine whether this food was in fact responsible for the contamination.

On Tuesday, health inspection services visited the premises where the reception food was prepared – a venue owned by Iznate town council and made available for events – and took various samples to be sent to the public health laboratory.

According to sources consulted, the menu appears to have been prepared in a bar which, based on initial findings, does not hold specific authorisation to provide catering services – a matter that will need to be clarified in the relevant inspection reports. In addition, tests are to be carried out on food handlers to complete an investigation that remains open and to determine any potential health-related liabilities.

Meanwhile, sources at the regional government have confirmed to SUR that “the necessary investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of a food poisoning outbreak reported in the village of Iznate”. “So far, 40 people have been affected, of whom only one has required hospitalisation,” they added.

The outbreak in Iznate comes just ten days after another case of salmonellosis was reported at a wedding held on 10 October at the Estival Torrequebrada hotel in Benalmádena. Around 80 guests attended the event, of whom at least 40 experienced symptoms consistent with food poisoning, according to data provided by the regional delegation for health and consumer affairs at the regional government of Andalucía. Those affected began to feel unwell in the early hours and the following morning, experiencing symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and fever.

The severity of the symptoms forced many of those present to go to health centres, some even by ambulance as they were unable to drive. The investigation revealed that those affected also included staff from the hotel who had eaten food from the banquet. At least two employees required hospitalisation: a waiter was admitted to Malaga's Clínico hospital for several days , while a female colleague received hospital treatment at a private clinic in Benalmádena, where she remained until Tuesday 13 October.

The regional ministry of health confirmed on 15 October that the outbreak had been caused by the Salmonella bacterium, following inspections and tests carried out by the health protection unit.

The dishes served during the wedding reception included a risotto with prawns and meat served with hollandaise sauce, as well as various starters and desserts. One of the affected staff members pointed to the hollandaise sauce as the possible source of the infection, although the health authorities did not publicly identify any specific food as being responsible for the outbreak.

The Benalmádena case triggered a health investigation which included inspections at the hotel and the collection of samples to determine the circumstances of the contamination. Regulations require establishments serving specific set menus to large groups to retain food samples, precisely to facilitate this type of investigation. The fact that both outbreaks occurred in the province of Malaga within the space of just ten days once again puts the spotlight on food safety at large-scale celebrations, although there is no evidence of a link between the two incidents.