People suffering from a disease caught from snails in Beijing have formed a group to demand compensation from the restaurant where they were infected.

Scores of people became ill after eating raw or half-cooked Amazonian snails in the city's Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant.

They gathered on Sunday at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, where they received treatment, to announce they were to claim and to discuss strategies.

Wei Lei, a group member who contracted Angiostrongylus cantonensis, was quoted by Beijing News as saying many of the victims were still suffering from symptoms such as headache, fever and liver malfunction, although they have left hospital.

"We are unaware how long these symptoms will last and worry a lot," Wei said.

Pan Lei, another sufferer, said he hoped the Shuguo Yanyi Restaurant would compensate them for more than their treatment expenses.

"We hope the restaurant will compensate us for the hospital fees, loss of income and for our emotional suffering."

Patients complain the restaurant has been dragging its heels over compensation and has been vague about the issue.

Chen Youling, a spokesperson for the restaurant, yesterday was unable to say whether it would compensate the group.

"We will award compensation according to the law," Chen said, adding "our company will take full responsibility, but we have our own timeframe."

"Leaving hospital means the disease has been fundamentally controlled, but patients still need some time to fully recover," said Yin Chenghong, an expert from the friendship hospital.

At least 80 people in Beijing have contracted the disease after eating Amazonian snails, called fushouluo in Chinese, at the restaurant.

Beijing health authorities have confirmed it was the restaurant's improper cooking of the snails that led to the outbreak.

(China Daily August 30, 2006)