Dozens take ill from suspected poisoning in east China

Over 20 people have taken ill with symptoms similar to rodenticide poisoning in east China's Anhui Province.
Twenty-one people from nine families in Xiaokou township, Taihe County, have been hospitalised so far with severe symptoms of poisoning, said the county's health department.
Another 15 villagers had milder symptoms and were allowed to go home, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The first two cases were reported on November 25, when Liang Guibin and his wife were admitted to hospital with seizures, hematemesis and blood in their urine.
Doctors suspected this was a result of consuming rat poison.
The subsequent investigation, however, found no traces of any harmful substance in samples of leftover food and water taken from their home in Maozhuang Village.

The couple had not dined out or been exposed to harmful chemicals. Similar symptoms were reported by many other villagers over the past week.

"My four-year-old son was hospitalised Thursday," said villager Zhang Hongdeng.
"The doctor said he had blood clotting problems," Zhang said.
The same problems were reported by Zhang's parents.
Zhang, who works in a town 20 kilometres away and is rarely home, showed no such symptoms in the checkup.
The disease prevention and control centre in Fuyang City has joined the investigation and it has taken samples of the villagers' food and water for further lab tests.