I was reading the Town Talk of Pineville and Alexandria (I visited there once and used to have some friends there), Louisiana this evening and read that State officials are suspecting food poisoning as the cause of the deaths of three patients at Central State Hospital.   A total of 40 patients of the behavioral health hospital showed signs of gastrointestinal stress beginning around 6:30 a.m. Friday with the three deaths – of a 43-year-old woman, 41-year-old man and 52-year-old man – all happening early Saturday morning.

Central State Hospital had reported that the symptoms were minor and seemed to be normal for what would be suspected for food poisoning.  However, Friday the symptoms of two patients worsened and they were taken to Huey P. Long Hospital where they died.  The woman who died was found in her room early Saturday morning unresponsive.  Autopsies of the three are scheduled for Monday and results from lab tests already sent to a state lab in New Orleans are expected in a few days.