Cases of food poisoning fall sharply amid new flu spread last year

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- Cases of food poisoning fell sharply in South Korea
last year amid heightened concerns over public hygiene fueled by the spread of
influenza A (H1N1), the country's public health watchdog said Wednesday.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration said that 228 cases of food poisoning were
reported last year, marking a 35.6 percent decrease from a year earlier, with the
number of the patients also down 19.9 percent to 5,999. Both figures mark the
lowest since 2005.
The administration attributed the decrease to the spread of H1N1 last year.
An official at the agency said, "There was no major food poisoning incidents like
ones in school lunch meals, and increased attention to personal hygiene due to
the new flu had a major effect on the decrease in food poisoning cases."
A total of 98 food poisoning cases were reported by restaurants, the highest
number in the country, but school lunch meals were responsible for the largest
number of the patients, with 45 percent of the total, it said.
minsikyoon@yna.co.kr
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