After receiving a report from Le Van Thinh Hospital about 15 cases of suspected food poisoning, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health directed the Center for Disease Control to conduct an epidemiological investigation while medical workers from the Children Hospital 1 were sent to Le Van Thinh Hospital to support their peers.
The working group reported that patients include 15 students aged 7-11 years old from four primary schools in Thu Duc City, including Thanh My Loi Primary School, Binh Trung Dong Primary School, Nguyen Van Troi, Luong The Vinh Primary School.
Students’ parents said that on the morning of May 2, their kids ate rice rolls sold in front of the school gate. After 2.5-3 hours later, children experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting many times, abdominal pain, dizziness, fatigue, and some children have diarrhea. By the morning of May 3, the children's health condition had improved.
Medical workers believe this is a case of food poisoning and they suspected bacterial toxins in food, most likely after the children ate rice rolls sold in front of the school gate, is the culprit of the poisoning cases.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health directed the city Center for Disease Control to continue coordinating with Thu Duc City-located Health Center to monitor the epidemic situation in schools and communities meanwhile the city Department of Food Safety will conduct an investigation and determine the cause of the poisoning.
The health sector recommends that parents need to pay more attention when buying food for their children as the weather is so hot. Hot temperatures during the summer months provide ideal conditions for bacteria to grow and flourish rapidly. cConsequently, rates of food poisoning increase in summer months because bacteria grow faster in warmer weather.
