Food Safety Department directs handling of suspected food poisoning case of 33 students

Accordingly, the Food Safety Department confirmed that it had received information about suspected food poisoning cases occurring at Tue Duc Secondary School (campus 1/5 Bis Luong Dinh Cua, An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) and Tue Duc Secondary School (campus 644 Nguyen Thi Dinh, Thanh My Loi Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City).

Of these, about 33 students showed symptoms of stomachache, diarrhea, and nausea after eating school meals provided by the same company in Tan Phu district. The suspected poisoning occurred on the same day and involved the same food groups suspected of causing the poisoning.

Faced with the above situation, the Food Safety Department requested the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department to urgently organize an investigation and trace the origin of food to clearly identify the source of raw materials and food for the processing facility suspected of causing poisoning; take food samples and specimens for testing to find the cause.

Temporarily suspend the operation of a food processing facility suspected of causing food poisoning if it is discovered that there is a risk of further food poisoning; strictly handle violations of food safety regulations (if any) and publicize the results to promptly warn the community.

The Food Safety Department requested the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department to strengthen management measures, especially in collective kitchens and catering establishments to limit the risk of food poisoning.

At the same time, strengthen propaganda and guidance for collective kitchens and food service establishments to implement the control of origin and source of food ingredients, ensure hygiene during the process of preliminary processing, processing, and transportation of food, food safety conditions, three-step food inspection, and food sample storage.

Overview of suspected student poisoning at Tue Duc Secondary School

Previously, on March 27, the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City had a quick report regarding the students of Tue Duc Primary and Secondary School showing signs of diarrhea and vomiting.

According to information provided by the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City, at 7:45 a.m. on March 26, the homeroom teacher of class 196 received information from the parents of students THN and THT reporting that the students had symptoms of nausea and diarrhea, and were then taken to the hospital by their families. After going to the hospital for examination, the two students were diagnosed with suspected food poisoning.

At 8:40 a.m. on March 26, after organizing breakfast for the entire school, the school received 2 more cases at the school with similar symptoms.

Case 1, a student of class 598 had diarrhea in class, after being taken to the medical room, he was taken to the hospital. The ultrasound results from the hospital showed a small amount of fluid in the abdomen due to food poisoning. The student was prescribed medication and returned to school at 9:45, continuing to be monitored at the school's medical room.

Case 2, PCKN student, class 2P5. The student was taken by the school to An Phu Medical Center, and his family picked him up at 3:20 p.m. on March 26.

Thu Duc City Department of Education and Training informed that both cases mentioned above have returned to normal classes.

By noon on March 26, the school held a meeting including: Board of Directors, Health, Admissions, homeroom teachers with related students. Through information from the records, there were a total of 38 suspected cases.

Specifically, 2 students at home and 2 students at school had the same symptoms. 34 students had symptoms of either headaches, vomiting, or diarrhea after eating at school. Of these, by 9:30 a.m., there were 55 female cases, determined to have physiological abdominal pain (preparing for menstruation).

The suspected food poisoning was at the afternoon meal on March 25 and the morning of March 26, from the industrial kitchen supplier Haxeca Mekong.

The school took samples four times, conducted inspections, and sent food samples for testing from two independent medical inspection sources.

By 4:00 p.m. the same day, except for 2 students who stayed at home and 1 student who asked to go home for family monitoring, the remaining 35 students (no hospitalizations) were in stable health and have returned to class to study normally.

On the same day, the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City went to Tue Duc Primary and Secondary School to work; check the status, records and preliminary processing procedures at the school kitchen and grasp the situation of students suspected of poisoning. Through the inspection, Haxeca Mekong facility implemented hygiene assurance, the staff performing the preliminary processing wore labor protection, updated the 3-step number and kept samples according to regulations. Currently, the school has not received information about additional cases.