<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police are working with health authorities to trace the source of a potential rat poison contamination in Queensland's south-east as a cluster of patients recover after ingesting a key chemical in rat bait called brodifacoum.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the number of cases remained at five.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said the patients, including one child, are from three families who are not known to each other.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/anthony-albanese-donald-trump-meeting-white-house-oval-office/86dff558-6189-4a00-9b65-d40d7f055505" target="_blank"><strong><span>'I don't like you': Trump blasts Rudd during Albo meeting</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Those five people are receiving proper and good care, and they are all at home and recovering well," Nicholls said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Rat poison reduces vitamin K in the body, which reduces the body's ability to clot blood.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Initially it was suspected the patients may have ingested the chemical through contaminated products served at a fast food outlet.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/police-called-in-to-investigate-after-cluster-of-people-sick-with-rat-poisoning/182c0eb9-e9b6-42af-a7a0-7756deb91114" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, today Nicholls cast doubt over the suggestion that a single fast food restaurant is to blame and confirmed police would assist health authorities trace the source of the poisoning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland Health opened an investigation after five people presented to different hospitals in the metro south region, including Logan and Princess Alexandra, over the course of a week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite police involvement, chief health officer Dr Catherine McDougall said the incident has not been deemed as suspicious.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We want to make sure that we're actually exploring all options," McDougall said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Police will do work and we'll do health work."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last week, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-south-east-logan-fears-multiple-takeaway-orders-contaminated-after-cluster-of-people-sick-with-rat-poisoning/6e97b752-a4a8-4bb9-8839-208956841063" rel="" target="" title="McDougall issued an internal safety alert to hospital staff"><span>McDougall issued an internal safety alert to hospital staff</span></a><span> confirming there had been a number of rat poison detections in patients.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There has been a cluster of cases identified in the Metro South Head region of positive brodifacoum detection in patients," McDougall said in the note.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>McDougall asked staff to "be alert to the possibility of brodifacoum poisoning in patients who present with bleeding-related symptoms and coagulopathy that cannot otherwise be explained".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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