Two More Ill In Nursing Home Outbreak; Victorian Health Minister Under Pressure

Melbourne, Australia (AHN) - As two more elderly nursing home residents have been rushed to hospital, Victoria's Health Minister has been urged to resign.

The two residents, one a woman in her 90s, were taken to hospital after they began suffering the same symptoms that have affected 21 other residents and killed five.

Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike told members of parliament, "I join with my fellow Victorians in saying how sorry that we are, that this has happened, and we certainly want to express that sorrow to all of those family members."

However, Ms Pike was soon questioned over the care taken with the ill residents. When asked when a doctor was sent to the Broughton Hall nursing home, the minister said, "The public health officials immediately implemented the standard protocols."

The health minister and Broughton Hall staff have been criticized for the delay in notification to doctors and family members. Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said, "She's so incompetent she can't tell the parliament of Victoria whether or not a doctor was sent."

After initial tests by the Department of Human Service (DHS), three cases of salmonella poisoning has been discovered.

The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (ACSAA) have begun an audit on the nursing home, believing that Broughton Hall may be in breach of industry standards.

The facilities kitchen is currently closed.

DHS spokesperson, Bram Alexander, told AAP, "Salmonella bacteria has been identified in an additional two samples taken from two residents who fell ill at Broughton Hall."

University of Melbourne microbiology professor Richard Strugnell said that he also believes food poisoning could be responsible for the outbreak.

He said, "If there's two/three or four people that were in the same institution and they all came down with the infection over a short period my first reaction would be: Well have they eaten the same food?"