Recent days have witnessed a large-scale food poisoning incident in Xishui County, Guizhou, where 136 children and adults fell ill after consuming sandwiches from a local chain cake shop, displaying symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Some individuals are in critical condition and have been transferred to major hospitals for treatment. Concerned parents disclosed that local authorities requested the deletion of related videos, with the already published ones being blocked.
Numerous netizens on social media platforms reported that several children in Xishui County, Zunyi City, Guizhou, developed symptoms such as fever and prolonged diarrhea requiring hospitalization after eating sandwiches from a local cake shop named “Michael Meagle.”
On September 21, the Food and Drug Safety Committee Office in Zunyi City, Guizhou, released a situation report on the food poisoning incident in Xishui County, where people experienced fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea after consuming “sandwich” pastries recently. Patients identified these pastries as produced by “Michael Meagle” Food Factory in Xishui County, sold in 8 self-operated stores in Xishui County from September 15 to 17, with 142 orders and 181 pieces of sandwiches sold to 137 individuals, including 187 consumers.
As of 5 p.m. on September 21, 136 individuals were hospitalized for observation and treatment, including 89 students and 10 preschoolers, exhibiting symptoms like fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The illness was determined to be caused by sandwiches contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
According to “Extreme News,” on September 22, a parent of an affected child revealed that “Michael Meagle” is a well-known cake shop in Xishui County with multiple chain stores, and all three of their children were hospitalized after consuming sandwiches from the shop.
Another middle school student hospitalized for eating sandwiches mentioned still suffering from mild diarrhea.
A parent on September 21 told the Epoch Times, “My daughter is in senior kindergarten, and after eating ‘Michael Meagle’ sandwiches given by her mother, she had nausea and diarrhea, and has not recovered yet.” The parent added that some children had symptoms of vomiting blood.
A local resident informed the Epoch Times that a friend’s child in middle school had a high fever of 41 degrees after eating “Michael Meagle” sandwiches, which only subsided after more than an hour. Another friend’s child who ate the sandwich on the night of September 16 experienced vomiting and diarrhea on September 17. The county hospital now has many children admitted, with some even transferred to Chongqing and Zunyi, causing widespread outrage.
The resident believed that a batch of sandwiches produced on September 13 had issues, with a shelf life of two days and sold on the 14th and 15th.
He stated that local authorities are trying to suppress the issue, mentioning attempts to remove materials from the workshop. Videos posted by Xishui County locals have been blocked, but parents in Chongqing and Zunyi are still sharing videos.
The resident noted that “Michael Meagle” is a well-established local cake shop with seven to eight branch stores and its own processing plant.
Another resident told the Epoch Times that all individuals who ate sandwiches from “Michael Meagle” cake shop were hospitalized, highlighting a family where both children were admitted. The parent’s videos were all deleted, likely due to intimidation received via phone calls.
The resident revealed that all “Michael Meagle” shops in Xishui County are currently closed, suspecting issues with the raw materials. He expressed fear as his child boards at school and often enjoys sandwiches from the cake shop, urging attention to the matter.
According to “Elephant News,” on September 21, reporters visited Xishui County People’s Hospital. In the pediatric ward on the fourth floor of the main hospital building, most children presented symptoms like fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, with some requiring oxygen support. One parent stated that they have been in the hospital for 4 to 5 days now.
Multiple parents reported purchasing sandwiches from “Michael Meagle” cake shop between September 15 and 17, with their children experiencing dizziness, abdominal pain, high fevers, and frequent diarrhea. Emergency rooms at local hospitals were crowded with similar cases, all linked to consuming products from Michael Meagle cake shop.
During visits to other floors of the main hospital building, it was discovered that not only children but also many adults faced similar symptoms. In the gastroenterology ward on the eighth floor, patients who ate sandwiches from Michael Meagle cake shop filled the beds after feeling unwell.
One adult patient described experiencing abdominal cramps and subsequent diarrhea and fever. Another patient recounted having diarrhea 30 to 40 times a day at the peak of illness, slowly improving but still facing frequent bowel movements.
Several patients and their families mentioned that those with severe symptoms were transferred to larger hospitals in Zunyi and Chongqing for treatment. A parent whose child had been transferred stated that even at Zunyi Hospital, the child’s condition was not fully controlled, and they were on their way to Chongqing Hospital for further treatment.
Another patient mentioned that among the adults affected, there was a pregnant woman who developed similar symptoms after eating sandwiches, requiring medical attention with drug treatments containing significant antibiotics. Concerns arose about potential harm to both the pregnant woman and her unborn child.
According to “Torrent News,” on the morning of September 21, reporters spoke with Ms. Li over the phone, hearing her child crying in the background. Helpless and expressing that her child was unwell and vomiting, Ms. Li promised to reestablish contact later. A while afterward, she informed the reporter, “My daughter is in the second grade, and my son is in the first grade, both falling ill after eating sandwiches from a cake shop.”
On the night of September 16, Ms. Li bought two sandwiches from “Michael Meagle” cake shop and served them to her children for breakfast the next morning.
Recalling the events, Ms. Li mentioned that shortly after going to school, her children began feeling unwell: “Both my son and daughter got sick after eating sandwiches from the cake shop.” In the afternoon, the teachers called to report the children’s discomfort, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and high fever upon returning home. Ms. Li rushed them to Xishui County People’s Hospital and also informed the authorities.
In the hospital, she witnessed other children with similar symptoms after consuming products from the same shop. She said, “Upon arriving at the hospital, I found several other children with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea accompanied by a fever. Upon inquiry, all said they had eaten sandwiches from ‘Michael Meagle’ cake shop or other products.”
Due to the severity of her children’s conditions, doctors recommended transferring them to another hospital. On the night of September 18, she took her children to Zunyi City First People’s Hospital, where they were diagnosed with food poisoning. Further tests revealed high levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein over 110mg/L (reference range 0 to 10mg/L). Additionally, gallstones and kidney accumulation were found.
Ms. Li shared, “After transferring to Zunyi City First People’s Hospital, about ten more children were gradually brought from the county hospital. On the afternoon of September 20, two of them were also diagnosed with kidney accumulation, with one exhibiting symptoms of vomiting blood and bloody stools.” Due to the surgical recommendation, Ms. Li sent her children to Chongqing Children’s Hospital on the night of the 20th.
After the incident came to light, Ms. Li faced pressure from the Xishui County government in Guizhou. During her time at Xishui County People’s Hospital, county leaders, disease control center officials, and representatives from the cake shop visited her. The county leaders even asked her to delete the videos she posted on her social media circle. “They even called my hometown, making my parents contact me to delete videos. Videos I posted on social media were also blocked.” She further stated that on the 21st, government and education department personnel sought her for “talks” and requested deletion of content.
According to “Tianyancha,” Xishui County’s “Michael Meagle” Food Factory was established in 2013, specializing in food manufacturing. The company’s registered capital is 100,000 RMB.