Regular Pek Kio diner not sure which stall gave her stomach flu

SINGAPORE — As the authorities announced a two-day closure of Pek Kio Market and Food Centre on Tuesday for cleaning and disinfection after an unusual spate of stomach flu cases in the nearby Owen Road estate, Madam Ng Sam Toi, a resident there, was already experiencing symptoms.

A regular patron of the hawker centre, the 81-year-old started suffering from a fever, followed by bouts of diarrhoea a week later, after eating food from one of the stalls.

“I had no appetite, and experienced stomach upsets and bouts of diarrhoea. Whenever I drank water, my stomach felt very uncomfortable,” Madam Ng said in Teochew.

She was one of the more than 180 people who suffered from gastroenteritis and who had eaten food from the hawker centre.

The authorities said the source of the flu outbreak had not been traced, but the centre has been cited as a possible source of food contamination and was ordered to shut down. It is set to reopen today after a thorough cleaning.

Madam Ng, who lives a few blocks away, developed a fever followed by a cough early last week. She went to the nearby Everwell Clinic and Surgery, where the doctor gave her some medicine and antibiotics. However, the fever continued to recur over the week.

On Monday, she began having bouts of diarrhoea and an upset stomach after eating nasi lemak from the same food centre.

Her daughter-in-law, Madam Shirley Teo, 59, who works in the real estate sector, took her to the clinic again on Tuesday afternoon, and the doctor told Madam Ng she had stomach flu.

Madam Teo said: “We even had an early dinner at Pek Kio Food Centre (after seeing the doctor). That was before we found out about the food poisoning cases in the area.”

On Wednesday night, an officer from the National Environment Agency contacted Madam Ng to find out where she had been having her meals.

Madam Teo said: “My mother-in-law has been eating different food from the food centre. We don’t know exactly which particular food may have caused (this).”

Investigations have been in progress since a general practitioner last Thursday alerted the Health Ministry to an unusual surge in the number of gastroenteritis cases at the Owen Road area. The increase in numbers started on May 16.

This week, clinics in the area reported seeing fewer such patients.

Everwell Clinic, which has attended to more than 120 cases of gastroenteritis cases since May 16, saw only four cases yesterday — down from seven the day before, and 14 on Wednesday. Cheong Clinic, which is closed on Thursday nights, saw two cases as of 2.30pm yesterday.