The Ministry of Health has directed medical authorities in Tien Giang to coordinate with Ho Chi Minh City and Ninh Thuan to determine the exact cause of a food poisoning incident that left six tourists hospitalized - one of whom has died - after drinking a fruit-based wine. Investigations are underway to trace the product’s origin to its very source.

This directive was issued by the Vietnam Food Administration (Ministry of Health) following the case involving six tourists who were hospitalized after consuming a fruit wine labeled K.T, reportedly produced in Tien Giang.

On the evening of March 29, all six individuals drank six 500ml bottles of fruit wine while vacationing in Ninh Thuan. The following day, March 30, they began experiencing digestive issues, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

As their symptoms worsened on their return trip to Tien Giang, they were first admitted to Can Giuoc Regional General Hospital in Long An, then urgently transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. By the afternoon of April 1, the youngest of the group had passed away.

Among the remaining five, a 51-year-old patient who required mechanical ventilation has shown good recovery after undergoing blood filtration and is now fully conscious. The other four patients were admitted while still alert and also received rapid blood filtration at the emergency department to eliminate the toxins. All are recovering well.

Test results revealed extremely high levels of methanol in all six patients, indicating severe methanol poisoning. The specific origin and type of fruit wine consumed remains unknown.

The Vietnam Food Administration has instructed the Food Safety Authority of Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate with the city’s Department of Health in investigating the patients’ dietary history and collecting test and treatment results to forward to Tien Giang’s Department of Health.

Simultaneously, the Department of Health in Ninh Thuan has been tasked with investigating all dining establishments connected to the patients’ meals, supplying information to Tien Giang health officials, and jointly diagnosing the cause of the food poisoning. Local authorities are also expected to detect and strictly punish any food safety violations.

Specifically, Tien Giang's Department of Health is required to work with Ho Chi Minh City and Ninh Thuan health officials to determine the root cause of the methanol poisoning. They must also coordinate with the Tien Giang Department of Industry and Trade and other relevant agencies to trace the origin of the suspected fruit wine, immediately halt its distribution, and impose penalties for any confirmed food safety violations.

Methanol is a highly toxic substance. Once ingested, it is metabolized into formaldehyde and formic acid, which can cause multiple organ failure.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning may include nausea, repeated vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain, headaches, low blood pressure, dizziness or confusion, cyanosis of the lips and nails, agitation, blurred vision or blindness, difficulty breathing, seizures, coma, and death.

These symptoms typically appear within 30 minutes of ingestion, but can also be delayed depending on the amount consumed.

At the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital, the mortality rate for methanol poisoning cases is approximately 30%. In lower-level healthcare facilities, the fatality rate can reach 50%. Survivors often suffer from serious long-term complications.

Vo Thu