TOKYO (AP) — One particular person died and almost 150 others have been sickened after consuming grilled eel ready by a restaurant chain and bought at a division retailer close to Tokyo, officers stated. Amongst these sickened, two required hospitalization.

Keikyu Division Retailer stated 147 prospects as of Monday had reported signs corresponding to vomiting and diarrhea after consuming grilled eel dishes bought within the grocery part of the division retailer based mostly in Yokohama, close to Tokyo, between July 24 and July 25.

Japan has a convention of consuming roasted eel as a tonic for the warmth in the course of the hottest days of summer season.

A girl in her 90s died after growing signs, however her actual reason behind loss of life is being additional investigated, the Yokohama metropolis well being heart stated. Two different folks have been hospitalized, however the signs of others affected have been milder, it added.

The one widespread denominator among the many sickened was the grilled eel, bought individually or as a part of field lunches served with rice, ready by the Tokyo-based restaurant chain Nihonbashi Isesada, and bought on the division retailer, the well being heart stated. Greater than 1,700 servings of grilled eel have been bought on the store, Keikyu officers stated.

The well being heart detected staphylococcus aureus — or staph — which causes vomiting and diarrhea, in excrement samples from the affected.

Keikyu Division Retailer and Isesada apologized over the meals poisoning and vowed to cooperate with well being officers. Isesada government Soichiro Tomita, at a televised information convention, acknowledged that some cooks weren’t carrying plastic gloves.

The well being heart stated it has briefly suspended operations on the Isesada store on the grocery flooring and its restaurant on one other flooring of the division retailer whereas they examined the trigger.