SUAL -The bangus growers who lost millions as a result of the spillover of waters in fishponds and broken fish cages were not the only victims of their produce that got away.

  Some 121 town residents were reportedly hospitalized for food poisoning after partaking of bangus that were found floating at the bay.

This prompted that Mayor John Rodney Arcinue to issue a memorandum circular instructing his constituents to avoid eating spoilt bangus lifted from the bay.

He told local newsmen here that he issued  his order Thursday immediately after he learned that some of his constituents fell ill after eating a number of the bangus found floating by the shore.

The typhoon reportedly inflicted P150 million worth of damage on bangus growers.

Bangus was being sold for as low as P20 per kilo immediately after the typhoon left and people bought in large quantities for consumption in succeeding days without thinking of refrigerating them.

“It was no longer fresh but people still ate it,” he said.

He said his order will remain in effect until the municipal agriculturist declares the situation safe.

Many of the victims rushed to the hospitals complained of experienced itchiness and nausea.

Dr. Jackson Soriano, provincial health officer, said 104 persons sought treatment at the Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos while 17 were treated in private hospitals.   

Soriano expressed relief that the situation was contained nobody died from the poisoning caused by eating rotten bangus.

“All the patients responded to anti-histamine and they got well,” he said.

Samples of the bangus were sent to the Bureau of Food and Drugs for laboratory tests.

He warned residents about eating fish that had been kept without refrigeration as these will cause illness.

The local government unit of Alaminos is now making rounds in the barangays reminding residents to eat only freshly harvested bangus in the absence of  electricity in their communities.#

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