Bongkrekic acid found in 2nd Taipei food poisoning victim

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Fatal toxin Bongkrekic acid has been found in the second person who died in the recent Taipei food poisoning outbreak, the Shilin District Prosecutors Office said in a statement released Friday.

The results of a biological examination for bacteria and viruses conducted by National Taiwan University Hospital revealed the presence of the rare toxin in the deceased, similar to the findings for the first person to have died in the outbreak, the office said.

The findings came after office staff and experts from the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Ministry of Justice conducted an autopsy on the deceased Thursday morning and collected gastric and blood samples for examination, the office said.

The deceased, a 66-year-old man surnamed Yang (楊), dined at a branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam in Taipei's Xinyi District on March 19, and was later sent to an intensive care unit on March 21 before passing away on Wednesday.

Bongkrekic acid was also found Thursday in the first victim of the outbreak, a 39-year-old man surnamed Lu (呂) who died on March 24, marking the first ever detection of the toxin in Taiwan.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, 18 people had sought medical attention in the Greater Taipei area and Tainan after eating at the Taipei restaurant between March 19 and March 24, according to Centers for Disease Control figures.

Of those, two people have died and five people remain in intensive care units.

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