Twenty-three people tested positive for Salmonella following reports of people falling ill having eaten food from a Watford restaurant.

A food poisoning probe involving the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was launched in early April when people became unwell after consuming food from the eatery between March 26 and 30.

Watford Borough Council and the UKHSA refused to name the business involved – rather only referring to “a restaurant/takeaway in Watford”. However, the Watford Observer understands it is Taste of Lahore in High Street.

According to a UKHSA statement on May 11: “There were 23 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella linked to the restaurant, and 17 probable cases (symptomatic individuals who did not provide a sample for lab testing).”

‘Isolated failure in food safety systems’

Justine Hoy, associate director for housing and wellbeing at Watford Borough Council, said: “We want to reassure the public that there is no evidence of any ongoing illness or infection related to this business.

“It appears to have been an isolated failure in food safety systems at the end of March. We continue to work with UKHSA and the Food Standards Agency to identify the source.”

Sarah Weir, consultant in health protection at UKHSA East, added: “Salmonella food poisoning is usually caused by eating contaminated raw or undercooked food like meat, eggs and dairy products.

“While our investigation continues to try and identify a source of the bug, we are confident that there is no ongoing public health risk.

“We believe this was an isolated incident and no further cases among patrons have been found since the initial reports of illness.”

Environmental Health staff visited the premises and found hygiene standards and food preparation methods “all appear satisfactory”, the UKHSA said earlier this month.

“They are continuing to work with the management of the restaurant to determine a possible source – including investigating the supply chain,” it added.

‘I thought I was going to die’

In early April, three people who claim not to know each other separately told the Watford Observer they needed hospital treatment after eating food from the restaurant on Wednesday, March 29.

One claimed they became so ill they thought they were going to die, while another said they vomited over a hundred times during four “traumatic days”.

Bilaal Malik, 29, said he got a takeaway at around 8pm and ate it at home with his wife. But at 4am the next morning, “everything hit the fan – quite literally”.

“I suffered panic attacks for the first time in my life because of this,” he said. “My whole face was tingling, my hands were tingling, traumatic is the only way I can describe it.

“It was projectile vomiting and projectile diarrhoea. I’ve never seen anything like it, never experienced anything like it, I couldn’t even drink water. Nothing stayed in.”

Muhammad Khan, 39, said he picked up a takeaway chicken tikka dish at 6.45pm, having been fasting since 4.30am. The following morning, he suffered “all day non-stop vomiting” and said he was still plagued by serious diarrhoea over a week later.

Another person, who also claims to have been fasting all day before eating a takeaway that evening, says she spent four days in hospital and called it “the most horrific, terrifying experience of my life”.

“I thought I was going to die,” she said.

At the end of March and early April, Taste of Lahore was given 11 one-star Google Reviews, with numerous posters reporting severe food poisoning and several pinpointing a visit on Wednesday, March 29.

Most people recover from a Salmonella infection within a few days to a week, but life-threatening complications can develop if it spreads beyond the intestines, according to nonprofit organisation Mayo Clinic.

In February, Taste of Lahore was given a 3/5 ‘generally satisfactory’ food hygiene rating. Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building, and hygienic food handling, were both rated ‘generally satisfactory’, while management of food safety was ‘good’.

Taste of Lahore did not respond to requests for comment.