A report released Wednesday by the Prefecture of Vienne in France concluded that 500 people, mostly middle school and high school students in Poitiers, were poisoned to varying degrees between October 19 and 22, 2010, after eating hamburgers containing salmonella.

Most are young people from three middle schools and one high school in Poitiers and about 20 people had to be hospitalized.

At Saint-Cyr (Haute-Vienne), twelve cases (seven from Annecy) were identified at a holiday resort, and a dozen were identified in a nursing home for the elderly.

The investigation lead by the Departmental Direction of Population Protection identified the offending food as a batch of frozen beef patties produced by an Italian company.

Thanks to my friend in France, Albert Amgar, for forwarding the latest story from AFP, and my best friend, Amy Hubbell, for the translation.