A case of food poisoning in secondary school has been reported. Apparently, about 200 students of Raffles Institution (RI) were down with food poisoning over the last weekend (from Oct 19-21).
The incident happened a few days before the start of the A-level examinations.
Students suffer food poisoning in secondary school
According to The Straits Times, most of the affected children were Year 6 students.
Many of the students reported feeling sick after after having a buffet meal, as part of a graduation event for the Year 6 cohort. The meal was prepared by an external caterer.
Some children started vomiting within hours of the meal.
Other symptoms included diarrhoea and stomach ache, with one student getting hospitalised. Some students apparently had to take injections to control nausea.
One student has been quoted as saying, “I couldn’t sleep at night because of the sharp pain which came every 30 minutes…I couldn’t study for two days.”
“It’s kind of unlucky how it ended up affecting so many people, so close to our A-level exams.”
RI principal Frederick Yeo has told The Straits Times that almost all the affected students had recovered by Monday, 22 October. They can rest at home to prepare for the upcoming examinations as they have study leave now.
Mr. Yeo told ST that the school was, “monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant government agencies to ascertain the cause of food poisoning”.
Food Poisoning Symptoms
Food poisoning is the result of eating contaminated, spoiled or toxic food. Bacteria is the most common cause of food poisoning. The main culprits are E.coli, listeria and salmonella.
The most common symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
food poisoning
However, the sick person may also experience the following symptoms:
- Stomach cramps
- Mild fever
- Weakness
- Headaches
You need to see a doctor immediately for the following symptoms of food poisoning:
- Diarrhoea for more than three days
- Fever higher than 38.3 Celsius
- Bloody urine
- Difficulty seeing or speaking
- Symptoms of dehydration including dry mouth, passing little to no urine and difficulty keeping down fluids.
Also READ: Food poisoning in children
(Source: The Straits Times)