Food poisoning hits children in Russia

TSEMENTNY, Russia, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The number of children stricken by food poisoning in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia has risen to 77, the region's Emergencies Ministry said.

Forty-eight of the children, along with three adults, have been hospitalized for treatment, ITAR-Tass reported Friday.

The outbreak occurred at a kindergarten in the village of Tsementny in the Nevyansk district.

Salmonellosis, possibly a result of low-quality food products, is a preliminary diagnosis in the mass poisoning, the region's Health Ministry said.

An investigation is under way, officials said.