The festive feast table set up in the courtyard of the church of St George in a village of Vouprasia in Ilia turned out sour, as 37 residents aged 15 to 90 suffered food poisoning and were taken to the Varda Health Centre.

During the village’s traditional feast, those who consumed the meal, which included boiled meat and sweets, experienced severe symptoms with severe stomach and abdominal pains and had to be given first aid.

The doctors on duty at the Health Centre were unable to attend to the patients who arrived with severe symptoms from early afternoon until late evening, who were given medication and IVs and, after a short stay, returned home.

According to Stavros Leventis, deputy director of the Varda Health Centre, who spoke to ilialive.gr, the first patients were two brothers aged 15 and 16 and their mother. “Initially we thought it was gastroenteritis.

But as soon as other patients started coming, all from the same village and all at the same table, we immediately realised that it was food poisoning.

The symptoms were severe: pains in the abdominal area, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Appropriate medication was immediately administered and we managed the situation at the Health Centre, without the need for any hospitalisation.

The patients remained in short term hospitalisation with IVs and once they felt better they all returned home.

However, until the medication took effect, they suffered from the pains.”