Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

In a distressing incident that has overwhelmed healthcare services in Udon Thani, nearly 200 kindergarten students were rushed to Somdet Phra Yupparat Ban Dung Hospital exhibiting symptoms of severe diarrhoea and vomiting. The incident, suspected to be a case of mass food poisoning, has sparked an urgent investigation by medical professionals to determine its root cause.

 

The affected students began showing symptoms on the evening of 29th May, after returning home from school. As their conditions worsened, concerned parents brought their children to the hospital, resulting in an overflow in the emergency department. The sheer volume of cases has strained resources, with some children requiring additional tests for gastrointestinal infections.

 

A common thread among the cases appears to be the students' lunch menu, which included chicken rice and a dessert known as lod chong taeng thai. It was after this meal that symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting started to manifest among the students later that night.

 

In response to the health emergency, the school opted for a special closure today, 30th May, to prevent further spread and allow time for a thorough investigation. Udon Thani's governor, Rachan Sunhua, alongside local public health officials, plans to visit the hospitalised children to provide support and expedite the inquiry into the incident.

 

The community is on high alert, with health officials working intensively to trace the source of contamination and implement measures to prevent a recurrence. This event underscores the critical importance of food safety protocols in school meal programs, and the findings of this investigation will likely lead to heightened scrutiny and adjustments to current practices.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-30

 

 

Diarrhea is spelled this way.  I don't know what the word spelled in conjunction with vomiting in this article means. What is this word"diarrhoea" written in post?  Twice even.

1 hour ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Diarrhea is spelled this way.  I don't know what the word spelled in conjunction with vomiting in this article means. What is this word"diarrhoea" written in post?  Twice even.

 

Internet says, 

 

Quote

Diarrhea and diarrhoea are both English terms. Diarrhea is predominantly used in 🇺🇸 American (US) English ( en-US ) while diarrhoea is predominantly used in 🇬🇧 British English (used in UK/AU/NZ) ( en-GB ).

 

Hope they all recover quickly.

Some nasty git has cut corners to save money, causing this. 

Hope they get''em.

 

Kitchen hygiene is sometimes a little lacking.

Easy to get diyaria......

Look at it this way....at least they didnt steal the lunch money this time.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

food safety protocols in school meal programs

Look like Thai workers of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  and Health Offices in Market Villages are on Hollidays.. 👎

15 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Diarrhea is spelled this way.  I don't know what the word spelled in conjunction with vomiting in this article means. What is this word"diarrhoea" written in post?  Twice even.

It was spelled the correct way your way is the American way

Ok Mum!

The standards of hygiene in Thailand leaves a lot to be desired, Thai's dont throw anything away and I always said here in Phuket is low season, I had some fruit a couple of days ago from a well known supermarket, by 2-30 in the morning I knew about it, I have eaten something dodgy a few times recently, I'm not buying from street vendors. 

Homeschool.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The affected students began showing symptoms on the evening of 29th May, after returning home from school. As their conditions worsened, concerned parents brought their children to the hospital, resulting in an overflow in the emergency department. The sheer volume of cases has strained resources, with some children requiring additional tests for gastrointestinal infections.

Diarrhea    

There have been some significant food poisoning incidents here over the years.

 

In 2006, a massive outbreak of botulism occurred due to the consumption of poorly prepared bamboo shoots.

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2636242/

 

 

 

 

My experience with Thai family is they have a habit of leaving cooked chicken sitting on the table all day in tropical temperatures. Refrigerate all meat at all times.

18 hours ago, quake said:

Hope they all recover quickly.

Some nasty git has cut corners to save money, causing this. 

Hope they get''em.

 

 

Thanks. Not washing hands, the food itself and preparation surfaces may also have been a cause.

Agree with most comments. Food prep areas not clean, utensils not clean, Raw chicken left then washed in tap water, Cross Contamination in fridges, and a lack of general food Hygiene standards. Ignore any of these in a hot climate and your asking for trouble. 

22 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Diarrhea is spelled this way.  I don't know what the word spelled in conjunction with vomiting in this article means. What is this word"diarrhoea" written in post?  Twice even.

It can be spelt both ways depending on the context, suggest you refer to the English Oxford dictionary 

Another example of greed overtaking the welfare of the nations children and future...

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Thanks. Not washing hands, the food itself and preparation surfaces may also have been a cause.

Have you noticed many Thai's dont was their hands after going to the toilet 

5 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Have you noticed many Thai's dont was their hands after going to the toilet 

Could that be because theres nothing to dry your hands with? Nobody likes walking around with wet hands

23 hours ago, WEBBYB808 said:

Diarrhea is spelled this way.  I don't know what the word spelled in conjunction with vomiting in this article means. What is this word"diarrhoea" written in post?  Twice even.

Both are correct according to the Oxford ENGLISH Dictionary. 

This word 'diarrhoea' is the English way, originating from the Greek meaning to flow through, no, not follow through! 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Have you noticed many Thai's dont was their hands after going to the toilet 

 

Yes I have and not only Thais! That is one reason I do not like ice cubes in my beer. How often have you seen hands diving into the ice bucket to retrieve ice, especially when people get inebriated?

 

The only time I've had "the trots" living in los is from eating at an upscale restaurant. I'm a clean freak, and I'm always after my thai wife to wash her hands. To the point of  ridicule. Eating with the family can be an adventure. TIT  

On 5/30/2025 at 5:05 PM, snoop1130 said:

The sheer volume of cases has strained resources,

Chicken carries salmonella & campylobacter plus other bacteria and washing raw chicken will not remove them . In fact washing raw chicken is bad practice as the droplets can easily spread bacteria to other areas . The bacteria are killed by cooking the chicken to 325f oven temperature and the chicken to have a minimum internal temperature of 165f shown on a probe thermometer . I suspect that failing to cook the chicken to these levels , could be the cause of the food poisoning .