11 cases
Maysan health officials deny reports of mass food poisoning
MAYSAN — Health authorities in Maysan have denied social media reports of a mass food poisoning incident, confirming that 11 suspected cases were registered at Al-Hakim Hospital but emphasizing that the source and scale of the cases remain under investigation.
Mohammed Qasim, spokesperson for the Maysan Health Department, told 964media that laboratory tests are underway to determine whether the cases are linked and whether they stem from a single location.
“Teams are working to trace the sources of contamination and whether it originated from a single establishment, such as a restaurant, or from multiple sources,” Qasim said.
He added that the suspected cases were spread across several neighborhoods, and the situation does not currently meet the threshold for a broader public health alert. If the number of confirmed cases exceeds 25, broader treatment measures and an official declaration of a poisoning incident will follow, he said.
The clarification follows online claims of a foodborne illness outbreak in Amarah, though officials say the cause has not yet been identified.
