A PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) model dressed as a chicken hands out egg-free vegan cupcakes near the White House in Washington August 25, 2010. U.S. regulators on Monday were still investigating the massive salmonella outbreak that s
A PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) model dressed as a chicken hands out egg-free vegan cupcakes near the White House in Washington August 25, 2010. U.S. regulators on Monday were still investigating the massive salmonella outbreak that sparked a recall of more than a half billion eggs, while lawmakers launched their own probes and consumer advocates urged passage of a law to give food regulators more power. Reuters

On Jan. 8, officials from the Metro South Health, a brand new Community Health facility in Wynnum West, Queensland, said that tests were conducted at a restaurant called Chin Chin Chinese restaurant at Springwood and traces of salmonella were detected in the food. 110 people who went to the restaurant fell ill after eating there on the weekend, Jan. 3 and 4.

Earlier, reports had come in that the officials had closed down a popular restaurant in Brisbane so that they could investigate a big poisoning outbreak. The officials are of the belief that the outbreak could have been caused due to raw eggs, reported Courier Mail.

The officials expected the number of those affected by the salmonella outbreak to rise within the next two days. They have advised diners who went to the restaurant during the weekend to avoid going to public places until they have showed no symptoms of food poisoning for a span of at least 24 hours.

Samples were taken from the patients to check the source of contamination. Queensland Health, a department of the Government of Queensland which deals with the public health system of the state, believed that the source of contamination could be the deep-fried ice cream.

A spokesman for the Logan City Council, a progressive leader in the local government, said that the council had taken steps to make sure that there was no further risk until the results of the investigation was found. They have ordered temporary closure of the restaurant. The restaurant door had a sign that read: "Closed for maintenance until further notice."

Authorities have made it clear that the food that was supplied to the restaurant could have been contaminated. They added that the order passed by the Logan City Council did not mean that the restaurant must be blamed for the salmonella outbreak.

On the night of Jan. 4, Julie Holmes held her birthday dinner at the Chin Chin restaurant and she invited 15 people for it. Eight of those who were invited fell ill. Holmes said that at least six of the 15 went to the hospital, out of which two stayed there overnight. She added that four of them were put on drips and that she hadn't eaten for three days. She said that it was dreadful and that it was the worst thing that she had been through.

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