Mass poisoning in Pristina, 22 people hospitalized after consuming food at “Sach Pizza”

From Friday, July 10, 2026, until Monday, July 13, around 70 citizens arrived at the Infectious Disease Clinic at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo to seek medical assistance.

KosovaPress attempted to obtain a statement from the manager of one of the “Sach Pizza” outlets, who responded that he was not authorized to speak and that the company should make the statements.

Official data from the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK) show that 22 of the 72 patients who presented themselves were hospitalized. They reported symptoms such as temperature, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Based on the collected anamnesis, the first signs appeared just a few hours after they had eaten the suspected food.

The UCCK statement emphasizes that all hospitalized cases have been communicated to the Health Inspectorate and the National Institute of Public Health of Kosovo. They have also been registered in the Communicable Disease Surveillance System, in accordance with established protocols.

The KosovaPress team stayed at the Infectious Disease Clinic and spoke with relatives of those affected, who confirmed that the food consumed before the onset of symptoms was a sandwich from “Sach Pizza” sales points.

A mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that her son’s condition had seriously worsened after eating a sandwich. According to her, his temperature reached up to 40 degrees Celsius. She added that her son’s condition had improved today compared to yesterday, but it had been extremely severe. The mother emphasized that all the patients she had communicated with had eaten the same type of food at different “Sach” outlets or had ordered it at home. She mentioned that the case is being investigated by the police and prosecution, and that family members are coordinating to take legal action in court.

Another parent, also anonymous, recounted that her daughter had eaten a sandwich at “Sach Pizza” on Thursday and then faced a series of complications. She complained that the ambulance service did not respond to her request to transport her daughter to the hospital, even though she had lost consciousness. The mother said that they took her to the Emergency Room themselves with the help of her husband and other daughters, before she was transferred to the Infectious Disease unit. According to her, her daughter was in a very bad state for three days and was improving slightly today.

A similar story was shared by the fiancé of a patient, who remained anonymous. He said that his partner had eaten a sandwich at the “Sach” point near the airport, and the first symptoms had started on Saturday in the early morning hours. He confirmed that the doctors were doing their best and warned that they would pursue legal action against the company.

Meanwhile, KosovaPress sources indicate that “Sach Pizza” has withdrawn the sandwiches from sale in all its branches, and that authorities have carried out an inspection at the company’s warehouse in Lipjan.

During the day, the media tried to contact the Food and Veterinary Agency, the Ministry of Health, the Clinical and University Hospital Service of Kosovo, and the Inspectorate, but none of these institutions responded to the calls.