OPULENT high tea at a luxury Melbourne hotel has sent 44 people to hospital with salmonella poisoning.

Health authorities say it could take weeks to trace the cause of the outbreak, but suspect egg or chicken products may be the most likely culprit.

Those who fell sick account for more than half of 77 people identified by the Health Department as having eaten high tea at the Langham Hotel on July 11 and 12.

Six became so ill they attended hospital emergency rooms for treatment, with four requiring admission. One person remains in hospital.

“I have to sympathise with the people who have had this illness because it is actually quite a very nasty form of diarrhoea ... it is not pleasant,” acting Chief Health Officer Dr Michael Ackland said today.

He said the illness struck within 36 hours of exposure to contaminated food so no further cases were expected to emerge.

Melbourne woman Tanya LaManna was one of several members of her family who ate at the Langham on that weekend and fell ill.



Greg LaManna says his wife was hospitalised two days after she and other family members had high tea at the hotel on July 11.

She had a 41C temperature and diarrhoea, and kept throwing up.

“It was quite scary, actually, very scary,” Mr LaManna told 3AW radio.

“We didn’t know what was going on.”

His wife is now recovering at home and started eating again two days ago, he said.

Dr Ackland said the hotel is co-operating with the department’s inquiries.

Were you affected by the outbreak? Email grant.mcarthur@news.com.au

Victoria’s latest salmonella scare comes amid a worrying escalation in food poisonings, with confirmed salmonellosis cases soaring by an alarming 130 per cent in the past six years, to 3693 cases in 2014.

Already this year there have been 2124 salmonella notifications, though Victorians are yet to hit the most dangerous months when warmer temperatures allow the bacteria to quickly multiply.

The Langham accommodates some of Melbourne’s most high-profile guests, but it is not yet known if any prominent clients have been caught up in the food poisoning.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID FOOD POISONING

News_Rich_Media: Victorian Department of Health's tips for avoiding food poisoning. Video: Dept of Health

John Fawkner Private Hospital confirmed mother-of-three Maria Carbone, 33, had salmonellosis after attending a high tea at the Langham with family on July 12.

She has spent a week in hospital.

Her 78-year-old grandmother was taken to hospital on Monday night with salmonella-like symptoms.

“We were trying to figure out where my daughter got (salmonella) ... and now it seems clear,” Mrs Carbone’s mother, Angela Kardas, said.

A number of other diners contacted the Herald Sun saying they were also unwell.

DOH public health officer Dr Brett Sutton said the Langham fully cooperated with the investigation after the first victim became ill on July 12.

“These are people that attended functions over the weekend of the 11th and 12th. It may be that there are cases that get linked back to other days, but those are the days that we are currently looking at to see what people have consumed,” Dr Sutton said.

The Langham’s Melbourne managing director Ben Sington said the hotel was in contact with guests and working to determine the cause of the outbreak.

“As the safety and wellbeing of the guests and colleagues are of the highest priority, the hotel has extensive protocols in place to ensure food safety,” he said.

Mr Sington said the hotel conducts daily food safety checks of equipment, produced food in traceable batches, and undertook electronic temperature checks on deliveries and each batch of food.

City of Melbourne spokesman Sam Bishop said council health officers inspected the hotel, which has now undertaken a chlorine-based wash of its kitchen and was sourcing produce from alternative suppliers.

“Results of suspect foods and ingredients taken as part of the initial and ongoing investigation are not yet available,” Mr Bishop said.

Unaware of what is driving the spiralling cases of salmonellosis, the Department has established a Salmonella Working Group to investigate whether farming techniques, refrigeration or food preparation at retailers and in homes need greater attention.

While more than half the case can be traced to food retailers, Dr Sutton said a third were being poisoned by dodgy food served at backyard barbecues or in their own homes.

“We are keeping an open mind in terms of what the possibility might be. There has been speculation about the change in people’s food choices over time and it is conceivable that some of those changes in recent years might be a driver in these increasing numbers,” Dr Sutton said.

“When we have a clearer understanding of what the main drivers are for the increase then we can target better what ewe need to do.”

The 10 golden rules of food safety:

1: Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and

rinse with warm water before you start preparing food, after you go to the

toilet, after you cough, sneeze, touch your hair or any other non-food

surface, and before and after handling raw food, especially meat, poultry,

seafood and eggs. Dry hands with clean towels or disposable paper towels.

2: Store food at the correct temperatures. The temperature ‘danger zone’ —

in which bacteria multiplies rapidly — is between 5°C and 60°C. Just

remember: ‘Keep cold food cold (below 5°C) and hot food hot (above 60°C)’.

3: Cook food properly. To ensure that most of the bacteria are killed, cook

poultry, minced meats, sausages and pork until well done, right through to

the centre. Use a meat thermometer to ensure internal temperatures reach at

least 75oC and hold this temperature for at least 2 minutes. Steaks and

other solid pieces of meat can be cooked to taste.

4: If in doubt throw it out. Don’t risk any hot or cold foods that have

been left in the temperature danger zone for more than 4 hours — throw them

out.

5: Separate raw and cooked foods. Bacteria from raw food can contaminate

ready-to-eat or cooked food if they are stored together, so remember to

keep them separate.

6: Use different utensils, cutting boards and containers for raw food and

ready-to-eat foods. Avoid using the same utensils, cutting boards and

containers without thoroughly washing and drying them between uses.

7: Check your fridge and freezer temperatures. Internal refrigerator

temperatures should be below 5°C and freezer temperatures should keep food

frozen hard throughout. Avoid frequent opening of fridge or freezer doors

on hot days as this can increase temperatures. Consider placing drinks to

be cooled in a sink, bathtub or cooler with ice instead of overloading the

fridge.

8: Keep salads, spreads, dips and other perishable products in the fridge

or a cooler until needed. Leaving uncovered food out in the open for

extended periods can increase the risk of the food becoming contaminated.

It’s better to divide foods into small amounts and replenish with fresh

portions as required.

9: Rinse all fruit and vegetables in clean water. This will remove most

soil, bacteria, insects and chemicals.

10: Keep your utensils, cutting boards, dishes and containers clean,

sanitised and dry. Bacteria from used or unclean utensils, cutting boards,

dishes and storage containers can contaminate ready-to-eat or cooked food,

so remember to thoroughly wash and sanitise them before using to prepare

food. The most efficient way to wash and sanitise is by the use of a

dishwasher, where the temperature is hot enough to ensure that dishes are

washed and that bacteria are killed. Use a dishwasher on a full hot wash

and dry cycle. If you do not have a dishwasher: wash by using detergent and

hot water and then follow by sanitising, by soaking small items for at

least 5 minutes in a clean sink of water at 50 Deg. C with household

bleach. (Add 1.25 mls of bleach to every litre of water used). Dry with

clean kitchen towels, disposable paper towels or allow to fully air-dry.

*More food safety information can be found on the Better Health Channel

grant.mcarthur@news.com.au