JAPAN : Poisoning Epidemic Kills Child, Woman

Japan’s food poisoning epidemic worsened dramatically when two more people--a 10-year-old schoolgirl in the city of Sakai and an 85-year-old woman in Osaka--died from a bacterial infection that has made thousands ill and has now killed seven. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, alarmed by the inability to stop the epidemic caused by E. coli bacteria, called in the head of the Japan Medical Assn. and demanded action. The most recent outbreak of poisoning began in the southern city of Sakai on July 11 when thousands of children became ill after eating tainted school lunches. Estimates of the number of people stricken with severe symptoms range from nearly 6,400 to more than 8,000.