Seventy people have now been diagnosed with meningitis after eating parasite-infested snails in Beijing, reports the Beijing Health Bureau on Tuesday.

Sixteen of those who contracted the disease are gravely ill and are being treated in hospital.

City health authorities are monitoring reported cased of the parasite-caused disease and so far six hospitals have reported a combined 70 patients with meningitis.

According to the bureau, the youngest patient is 13 years old and the oldest is 51. All of the patients ate raw or undercooked Amazonian snails four to two weeks ago in restaurants serving Sichuan-style dishes. The restaurant was ordered to suspend selling the snail dishes on August 8.

The bureau is trying to trace the suppliers of the snails contaminated with eel worms.

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)