A wedding celebration in the Axarquía town of Iznate resulted in approximately 40 people falling ill with severe food poisoning out of roughly 50 attending ... guests. Health authorities suspect a prawn kebab dish served with sauce during the starter course was the cause.
Preliminary epidemiological surveys indicate guests who consumed the prawn starter developed symptoms at a significantly higher rate than those who abstained. Health inspectors treat the finding as a working hypothesis pending laboratory confirmation.
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Initial stool culture tests have confirmed positive for Salmonella bacteria, with additional diagnostic results pending. Epidemiological investigators interviewed 28 attendees during initial tracing, confirming 17 clinical cases and 11 asymptomatic individuals.
A 39-year-old male guest with pre-existing medical conditions remains in intensive care (ICU) at the Axarquía Regional Hospital after suffering septic shock. He represents the sole hospitalisation from the event, with remaining affected guests receiving outpatient care or recovering at home.
Unlicensed catering and venue inspection
On Tuesday, health inspection teams visited the event venue - a municipal property owned by Iznate town council and made available for public functions - to collect food and surface samples for analysis at the Public Health Laboratory.
Initial findings indicate the wedding menu was prepared by a local bar that appears to lack specific municipal and health authorisations to operate as an external catering provider. Health authorities are conducting screening tests on all food handlers involved in the preparation to establish exact contamination points and clarify legal liabilities.
The Regional Ministry of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies confirmed that active investigations remain underway to identify the definitive cause of the outbreak, confirming 40 clinical cases and one ICU admission.
Second wedding salmonella outbreak in ten days
The incident in Iznate follows a separate mass food poisoning outbreak reported at a wedding held on 10 October at the Estival Torrequebrada Hotel in Benalmádena. Of approximately 80 attending guests, at least 40 developed severe gastroenteritis symptoms, including fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
In the Benalmádena case, the Regional Ministry of Health confirmed on 15 October that the Salmonella bacterium was responsible. Affected individuals included hotel staff who consumed banquet food, with two employees requiring multi-day hospital admissions. Suspicion centered on a hollandaise sauce served alongside meat and prawn dishes.
While health authorities confirm no physical or operational link between the Benalmádena and Iznate incidents, two major salmonellosis events occurring within ten days have heightened scrutiny regarding catering standards, food handling authorisations and cold-chain compliance at large private functions across Malaga province.