A total of 59 people have been hospitalized after eating contaminated fish in Shantou City, Monday's Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

All those affected were brought down after having meals at an eatery serving hot pot in Chaonan District, Shantou on Friday. They have been hospitalized over the past three days and have displayed food poisoning symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomitting and numbness in the hands and feet.

Five people admitted to the Shantou Central Hospital suffered low blood pressure and breathing difficulties.

Two patients experienced numbness in their throats while eating the fish while others had poisoning symptoms within half an hour after consuming the fish.

A preliminary investigation by the city's disease prevention and control center showed the fish had fed on poisonous marine algae.

(Shenzhen Daily August 31, 2004)