This is the largest case of school food poisoning in the city, involving Chu Van An primary school along with Thanh Da and Tam Vu primary schools.  In March of 2003 over 170 victims were involved in a similar incidence of food poisoning at Chu Van An school, suggesting hygienic problems are endemic to the school.

Students were rushed to two hospitals and one district health center where the majority had to undergo infusions while many vomited repeatedly.  Some were so sick that they had to rely on respirators to breathe.

The center had to mobilize its entire staff, including available interns (medical trainees) to cater to the patients who jammed the center’s postnatal ward and corridors.

Causes

A third grade pupil said that she had pork, pumpkin soup and yogurt for lunch that day.

Doctor Nguyen Duc An, chief inspector of the city’s Health Department said all the three schools served yogurt from a private business in district two. According to Tuoi Tre newspaper, the yogurt manufacturing facility was later inspected and fell short of hygienic requirements.

However, the schools’ kitchens showed only basic conformity to hygienic standards, An said.

Reported by Thanh Tung – Translated by Hoang Bao