Sylvania bakery closed after at least 40 people suffer food poisoning

NSW Health confirmed 40 people had presented at St George and Sutherland hospitals since Saturday with symptoms of food poisoning, while 13 of those people were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Salmonella bacteria had been found in some of the patients, said Professor Mark Ferson, the director of the Public Health Unit at the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.

The suspected source of the outbreak is a bakery in Sylvania, which has been closed while the NSW Food Authority conducts and investigation. Patients reported eating either chicken or pork rolls from the same bakery.

The number of people who fell ill in the outbreak could be higher than 40.

One woman, Katrina, said her two sons, aged 17 and 18, both fell extremely ill on Friday after eating chicken rolls from the bakery, however she did not take them to hospital because of the severity of their symptoms.

Salmonella symptoms include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start about six to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food, and typically last for four to seven days, but can continue for longer.

"The only reason we didn't take ours [her sons] to hospital was because they couldn't get out of the bathroom long enough to travel anywhere," Katrina told radio station 2UE.

"We took them to the medical centre. I sent my husband up to see how long the line was so they didn't have to wait there. They were very, very sick."

Another man, Emmanuel, told the radio station that five of his son's friends who also ate at the bakery also fell ill. Three of those friends had to be put on drips at hospital, he said, but were now recovering at home.

More to come