A second outbreak of food poisoning has been linked to Brisbane’s Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), as health authorities continue to investigate an incident in which hundreds of Queensland Education employees fell sick.
About 250 people reported gastro-intestinal symptoms following a school principals’ conference which was attended by about 1,200 delegates from around the state on February 26 and 27, according to Queensland Health.
Now it has emerged there was an outbreak of food poisoning among people who attended a conference at the site a week earlier.
It is understood at least 10 people became sick during a Fundraising Institute of Australia conference, with five of them diagnosed with salmonella, including the conference chairwoman.
Among those diagnosed with salmonella was charity worker Pearl Lee, who told ABC News she notified the BCEC and health authorities that she had been hospitalised with the illness.
“They should have really stepped on it quicker, because that was at least 48 hours before the teachers’ conference and they could have actually prevented the mass outbreak,” she said.
Fundraising Institute of Australia chief executive Rob Edwards said the organisation had been contacted by conference attendees hospitalised with salmonella poisoning.
“It’s just an unfortunate circumstance to happen. People go to a conference, have an enjoyable time, and then to go away with food poisoning is not a great outcome I would have thought,” he said.
“They [BCEC] have now asked us to put these folk into contact with Queensland Health, who are actually tracking the problem down as I understand.”
A spokeswoman for the BCEC said it was not informed of any earlier salmonella case until after the principals’ conference was over.
She said any food poisoning report was taken seriously.
Already the BCEC, as part of its ongoing internal review and as a precautionary measure, has suspended supplies of fresh eggs and poultry products until the results of the Queensland Health investigation are known.