Police opened a case over the poisoning at Katsurin’s restaurant: 43 people in hospital
17 July 00:12
In Lviv, a massive food poisoning was reported in the new restaurant of restaurateur Mykhailo Katsurin. As of the evening of July 16, at least 43 victims, including three children, were treated in hospitals. The police opened a criminal investigation into the incident under the article on violation of sanitary standards, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The poisoning at the Chinese Hello restaurant was reported on July 16 by its owner, Misha Katsurin. The restaurant opened only two days ago, on July 13. The restaurant positions itself as a city cafe with authentic oriental food.
“I was poisoned in my own restaurant in Lviv. And, unfortunately, I’m not the only one. So far, 11 guests have reported symptoms of poisoning,” Katsurin wrote.
The cause is probably desserts with eggs
The preliminary hypothesis of the poisoning, according to the restaurateur, is eggs or egg cream in the desserts served on those days.
The restaurant is now closed, and Katsurin said he is preparing to be hospitalized in an infectious disease unit, as his condition remains serious.
The restaurant is temporarily closed
In the publication, the restaurateur informed that the restaurant had temporarily suspended operations. The sanitary service has already inspected the staff, food and surfaces, and Katsurin promised to make the results public as soon as they are available. At the same time, all available products in the restaurant will be disposed of, regardless of the results of the examination.
He also said that:
- the restaurant pays for the treatment costs of all those who applied;
- the restaurant’s team is in touch with everyone affected;
- if anyone else has symptoms, the restaurateur asks them to write to the restaurant’s director.
“We’ve been feeding our guests for 10 years, which is about half a million visitors a year. Quality and safety are our main focus. But, as explained in the infectious disease department, such “outbreaks” happen every summer. We are terribly sorry. We will do everything and more to improve,” Katsurin said.
In its turn, the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 12 people diagnosed with acute intestinal infection are in the regional infectious diseases hospital. All of them visited one of the catering establishments in Lviv.
Specialists of the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, together with the Main Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in Lviv region, are conducting an epidemiological investigation into the causes and conditions of the outbreak.
According to ZAXID.NET, citing Mykhailo Kohut, acting head of the 7th department of the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital, there are currently eight patients in the department with symptoms of acute intestinal infection. Four of them turned to doctors on Tuesday, July 15, and four more the next day.
“The patients complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. They were preliminarily diagnosed with an acute intestinal infection. The test results will be available later, but there is a suspicion of salmonellosis,” said Mykhailo Kohut.
Police opened a criminal investigation
The police in Lviv region are already investigating the mass poisoning. According to law enforcement officials, as of 22:00 on July 16, 43 people, including three children, were treated in hospitals.
The incident has been classified under Part 1 of Article 325 of the Criminal Code – violation of sanitary rules and regulations for the prevention of infectious diseases. The sanction of the article provides for
- a fine of UAH 17,000 to 51,000
- or arrest for up to 6 months,
- or restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 3 years.
Relevant examinations have been ordered, and the pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
What is known about Mykhailo Katsurin?
Mikhail Katsurin is a well-known Ukrainian restaurateur married to singer Nadezhda Dorofeeva. The couple got married in 2023.
Prior to his relationship with Dorofeeva, Katsurin was married twice and has two children from his marriage to blogger Dasha Katsurina.
Katsurin has been in the restaurant business for ten years. He is the owner of a chain of themed restaurants, including Chinese Hello, Vietnamese Hello, Thai Hello, and Japanese Hello. Katsurin is also known as a food blogger.
