Mr Hashimoto pledged urgent action a day after a girl, aged ten, died in the town of Sakai, where more than 6,400 primary schoolchildren have been stricken in the past fortnight. By last night the number of seriously ill children with symptoms of haemolytic uraemic syn drome, a kidney-destroying disease caused by the food poisoning bacterium, rose to 96, up 22 from the previous day, Sakai city officials said. These were the first deaths reported since four people died in the western city of Okayama last month. Mr Hashimoto vowed that every step would be taken to trace the route of the infection. Scientists are analysing hundreds of samples of lunches served in Sakai schools earlier this month to try to identify the source.
Main suspects are cold noodles, raw cow's liver and undercooked hamburger.
The Prime Minister, who is to announce a detailed plan to tighten food inspection procedures tomorrow, urged the public to get medical treatment at the first sign of the unusual symptoms. Japan has accepted an offer of help from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to fight the epidemic. The Atlanta-based institution helped to eradicate an 0157 outbreak in 1993 which killed four children in the American Midwest.