(ANSA) - A toddler was recovering in hospital on Thursday after drinking fruit juice from a carton that had been contaminated with bleach.
Investigators said traces of the compound sodium hypochlorite had been found in the container, as well as in the baby bottle the girl was drinking from.
The two-year-old was rushed to hospital on Wednesday complaining of pains in her throat and problems breathing after drinking the juice her mother had bought from a local supermarket.
Doctors said the girl, from a village near the northern city of Padua, appeared to be in stable condition after passing a peaceful night in hospital. She would probably be released from hospital later on Thursday, they said.
Investigators are still testing other cartons of juice from the same supermarket. The incident came three days after a 29-year-old factory worker was taken to a different Padua hospital after drinking a bleach-contaminated bottle of mineral water from a vending machine.
A similar incident occurred near the northern city of Treviso last month.
Venice Prosecutor Ennio Fortuna said it was not yet clear whether the same person was behind all three attacks or whether a copycat criminal was at work. But he appealed for calm. Italians should check cartons and bottles for signs of tampering before drinking, he said.
Italy was hit by a spate of similar attacks early last year and in late 2003, triggering widespread panic. Scores of bottled drinks, especially mineral water, were injected with bleach, detergent and weedkiller, and dozens of Italians were taken to hospital.
Most of the drinks were contaminated while they were still on supermarket shelves, although some were apparently injected before they arrived there.
Italians were advised to inspect all bottled drinks for tell-tale holes just under the top, which investigators said could indicate something had been injected inside. Sales of mineral water plummeted as many domestic, restaurant and bar consumers switched to tap water.
