A salmonella outbreak at Mexico City’s General Hospital has sickened 135 doctors, leaving 41 hospitalized, including 15 who find themselves in the intensive care unit.

The doctors began showing symptoms last week, but the authorities initially ignored them, according to a source cited by the newspaper Reforma. However, as more and more physicians reported abdominal pain, diarrhea, low-grade fever and vomiting, an investigation was carried out.

The hospital’s dining room was finally shut down on Monday after bacterial infection and E. coli coinfection were confirmed, but administrators are receiving criticism after disregarding the initial complaints.

Reforma reported that as a result of the delayed care, the conditions of several of the doctors worsened, with some developing kidney failure and hypovolemic shock.

A shelter that previously housed family members of long-term patients was converted into a ward for the sick doctors. The area had been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the emergency room was overflowing, it was reopened.

Officials cited by the newspaper El País said that all those affected had received medical attention and were in stable condition, although 41 remained hospitalized as of Thursday.

Health Minister Dr. David Kershenobich downplayed the reports that doctors were admitted to intensive care, saying on Friday that it was “not related to the severity of their symptoms, rather it was a matter of making available any space we had to receive the staff and hydrate them.”

The hospital has two cafeterias, one for health care staff and workers, and another for resident physicians, which is outsourced. Early analysis suggests contaminated eggs caused the infection.

Once the source of the outbreak was confirmed, hospital administrators ordered the suspension of the outsourced dining service. 

Management is actively searching for and monitoring those potentially exposed to the contaminated food.

El Financiero newspaper reported that Restaurantes Grogi, a commercial food service and catering company, holds the food preparation contract for the dining room that was shuttered.

The company holds two federal contracts worth over 333 million pesos (US $19.7 million) to run medical dining halls. The contracts require the company to perform routine bacteriological testing on all prepared food.

With reports from Reforma, El País and El Financiero