UPDATE: Second child dies in the case of Argeș County haemolytic uremic syndrome, 10 babies hospitalized. Negative results for orange samples

Another child in from Arges County has died Monday morning at the ‘Marie Curie’ hospital in Bucharest due to serious digestive infections. Two babies have died to date, and another 10 are hospitalized, four are in serious condition.

The baby girl was intubated since last week at the intensive care unit.

It is the second death after February 4, when another child, 11 months old, died from severe digestive infection. In that case, doctors have determined that it was E.coli virus.

Currently, 10 children from Arges County are hospitalized at ‘Marie Curie’ hospital in Bucharest. Of these, four babies are in serious condition, one of them being mechanically ventilated.

The Food Safety Authority took samples of the oranges sold by an Arges County store chain, which are suspected to have triggered the gastrointestinal infection of the children who are currently receiving treatment at Bucharest hospitals and another two health facilities in Pitesti. According to the president of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) Andrei Butaru, the samples were sent to the National Reference Laboratory in Bucharest, and the results will be available on Tuesday at the latest.

“We were notified ex-officio following suspicions about the fruit and decided to take orange samples. We will analyse other suspect foods as well, but only oranges have come in the crosshairs for the time being,” Butaru explained.

The ANSVSA president added that the investigation is coordinated by the Health Ministry and the Arges County Public Health Directorate.

15 children aged between five months and three years suffering from gastrointestinal illness were transferred to Bucharest hospitals from Arges County health care facilities; 12 were admitted to the ‘Marie Curie’ Children’s Emergency Hospital and three to the ‘Matei Bals’ Infectious Diseases Institute.

Negative results for orange samples

The results of analysing the samples of oranges are negative and Arges County children have fallen ill from other causes, said on Monday Agriculture Minister Achim Irimescu.

“I’ve spoken with the ANSVSA President (the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority) which confirmed that the results of orange samples were negative. I think other causes are to blame for the contamination of children admitted to ‘Marie Curie’ hospital. It’s hard to tell where the problem came from but I think it’s related to bacteria, it’s not for me to say,” he said.