101 Cases of Mass Food Poisoning at a Hotel in Fukushima, Japan

Serving Sashimi... Flatfish Parasites Identified as Cause

At a hotel in the famous hot spring area of Fukushima City, Japan, 101 guests suffered from a mass food poisoning incident.

On the 11th, NHK and other outlets reported that guests staying at the Kagetsu Highland Hotel in Takayu Onsen experienced symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, indicating mass food poisoning. Following an investigation by the Fukushima City Health Center, it was determined that the cause of the food poisoning was the sashimi dishes served on the evenings of the 2nd and 3rd. Based on the patients' symptoms, it is possible that Kudoa, a parasite found in flatfish, caused the food poisoning. Kudoa is a spore-form parasite that inhabits the muscles of flatfish and has no international hygiene standards. Kudoa is about 1/100 mm in size and can be observed under a microscope.

The food poisoning patients included 47 men and 54 women, totaling 101 people, with ages ranging from 5-year-old children to 91-year-old elderly individuals. None of them required hospitalization for severe symptoms.

Fukushima City imposed a one-day business suspension on the hotel on the 11th and conducted hygiene guidance. The Fukushima City Health Center pointed out, "When serving raw fish, there is a risk of food poisoning, so it is advisable to freeze the fish first to kill parasites."

Meanwhile, since 2011, Japan has significantly strengthened quarantine measures for farmed flatfish imported from Korea due to concerns about Kudoa. About 80% of farmed flatfish from Jeju are exported to Japan. However, health authorities and academia maintain that it is not certain that Kudoa causes food poisoning.

A 2016 study by Seoul National University commissioned by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency concluded that "Kudoa parasites do not provide continuous stimulation within the human body, so the causal relationship with food poisoning bacteria is unclear." A study commissioned by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety at Chungnam National University also analyzed that "the concentration of Kudoa parasites detected is below harmful levels to humans, making it difficult to conclude that it is harmful."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.