More than 200 primary school pupils have been struck down with
food poisoning after eating their school lunch on Thursday in
Foshan, South China's Guangdong
Province.
Forty-three were still in hospital by Friday noon, although none
are said to be in danger and are expected to be sent home in the
next day or two days, according to a doctor from Lishui People's
Hospital in Foshan, Guangdong.
Other children who received hospital treatment were discharged
by Thursday night. Foul play is not suspected.
The children began falling ill, complaining of stomachache,
vomiting and violent twitching during afternoon lessons.
Police were alerted and helped organize the transfer of the
children to hospital. Police are currently investigating the cause
of the mass poisoning.
Ten school buses were used to ferry the youngsters to four local
hospitals for emergency treatment.
Food poisoning was quickly diagnosed and more than 150 pupils
needed to have their stomachs pumped before being put on
intravenous drips.
Under-cooked fish and contaminated meat balls prepared in the
school canteen are the suspected culprits.
The youngsters, aged between nine and 12, are pupils at Qifeng
Primary School in Lishui Township of Nanhai District in Foshan.
It is thought to be one of the most extensive child food
poisoning outbreaks ever reported in Guangdong, which borders Hong
Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
The incident has raised great concern with the Guangdong
provincial and Foshan municipal governments.
A special task force consisting of police and public health
officials has been set up to further investigate the case and,
where appropriate, punish those responsible.
Police have ruled out any suggestion that the poisoning was
deliberate.
Foshan municipal government has decided to launch a sanitary
inspection campaign starting on Monday, and relevant departments
and companies will be required to take concrete and effective
measures to prevent any further food poisoning incidents from
occurring in the city.
School and workplace canteens, restaurants, local food markets
and food bazaars will be the major targets of the inspection
campaign.
(China Daily September 11, 2004)