In Segezha, a town in the Republic of Karelia, a cluster of foodborne illness cases led to hospitalizations over the last five days. A total of 39 people were admitted, including 24 children, with diagnoses ranging from moderate to severe. This situation prompted a regional response supervised by Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer safety agency.
Officials from the ministry confirmed the patients linked their illness to shawarma bought at a single shopping pavilion. The storefront owner has been detained, and an inspection found violations in the production process that raised safety concerns about the products being sold.
Criminal charges have been filed against a private entrepreneur, and authorities are considering preventive measures to curb further risk. Rospotrebnadzor has launched a broad anti-epidemic push, including laboratory analyses of samples from the sick and their contacts, testing of finished products, water, swabs, and raw materials from individual sellers. Under directives from the Republic of Karelia’s Chief State Doctor, those who came into contact with the illness are being temporarily stood down from work and schooling until further notice.
Laboratory work remains ongoing as part of the investigation, with results expected to clarify the outbreak’s scope and the specific contaminants involved.
In related developments, nine people were reported to have died the day prior in a separate incident. A patient from Segezha displaying poisoning symptoms was transported to a local hospital. Earlier, a court in Moscow ordered the arrest of a shawarma vendor linked to a poisoning event that affected 17 people. Law enforcement reported that the individual operated a catering venue without a valid medical book and prepared meat shawarma that contained pathogenic microorganisms, including salmonella.
There is a growing public interest in safe and healthy fast food options across the country, with authorities emphasizing rigorous food safety standards and transparent reporting to prevent similar events in the future.