18 people in Kaohsiung felt dizzy and vomited after eating together. It is suspected that they harvested large bitter potatoes and ate them, causing trouble.

Relatives and friends in a mountainous area harvested large bitter potatoes on their own to serve as meals, which caused trouble. 18 people dizzy and vomited while sharing the meal. (Provided by Gao City Health Bureau)

Kaohsiung City's Neimen District Jinzhuli Community Stronghold Food Poisoning Case. The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau said today (4th) that after epidemic investigation, it was confirmed that 24 people ate together yesterday afternoon. 19 people ate curry rice that was suspected to be "big bitter potato", and 18 people became ill and sought medical treatment one after another.

The Health Bureau stated that the main symptoms of the 18 people were dizziness, general weakness, nausea and vomiting, and they sought medical treatment one after another. At about 9:30 last night, the symptoms had all relieved, and all of them were discharged from the hospital and returned home to recuperate. Today, they will continue to track and care for their health, and there are no new cases notified.

The Health Bureau today pointed out that after receiving the notification yesterday afternoon, it immediately dispatched personnel to conduct an epidemic investigation to trace the sources of the dishes and ingredients shared in the meal. Based on the patient's onset time and symptoms, it was initially determined to be contaminated by biological toxins or chemical substances. After comparing the common food items of the sick and non-sick people one by one, they quickly identified curry-related ingredients and found remaining ingredients suspected of "big bitter potatoes" at the meal preparation site.

The Health Bureau investigated the source of the "Big Bitter Potato" and found that it was collected by relatives and friends of the catering company in the mountainous area. The sampling was completed yesterday and will be sent to the Food and Drug Administration for molecular species identification.

The Health Bureau reminds the public that the appearance of "Big Bitter Potato" can easily be confused with edible potatoes such as yams. The public should not collect, eat or share plants of unknown origin or unidentified species; community meals should use ingredients with clear sources to avoid accidental consumption.

It is suspected that a large bitter potato was accidentally eaten during a meal in Kaohsiung. 18 people felt unwell and were sent to the hospital for medical treatment. (provided by the public)