More than twenty people hospitalized in Limassol after mass poisoning at a wedding

The Ministry of Health and the sanitary services of the Republic of Cyprus have launched a large-scale investigation into an incident in Limassol, where more than twenty people sought emergency medical care after a wedding banquet. The affected guests, including both adults and children, began arriving at the emergency departments of public and private hospitals with pronounced symptoms of acute food poisoning. Several patients required immediate hospitalization due to severe dehydration and a serious condition, while the rest, after receiving first aid and being prescribed treatment, were transferred to outpatient care.

Inspectors from the Department of Public Health immediately went to the venue where the celebration took place to carry out a full inspection of the kitchen facilities and food storage conditions. Specialists collected samples of all dishes included in the wedding menu, as well as drinking water and raw materials, for detailed laboratory and bacteriological analyses. Investigators are checking the entire food supply chain, the work of the kitchen staff and compliance with temperature requirements in order to determine the exact source of the contamination and identify the specific pathogen that caused such a sharp and widespread outbreak of the illness.

Official representatives of the department said that it is premature to draw final conclusions about the responsibility of the catering service or the venue management before the final laboratory results are received. Nevertheless, the kitchen has been suspended for the duration of the investigation, and mandatory medical tests have been taken from all employees. The sanitary services urged all citizens who attended the event and felt unwell not to self-medicate and to seek medical attention immediately so that their symptoms can be recorded, which will help establish the full picture of the incident.