Over 50 students rushed to hospitals for suspected food poisoning

[webfact]

Over 50 students rushed to hospitals for suspected food poisoning

 

 

PETCHABURI: -- Over 50 students of a rural school in Kaeng Krachan district of Petchaburi province were rushed to hospitals on Wednesday after they suffered severe stomach ache and vomiting from suspected food poisoning.

 

Rescue workers were rushed to the school which is operated by border patrol policemen in Tambon Pateng-ngor in response to call for help from the school management to bring the sick students to Hua Hin and Pran Buri hospitals.

 

Doctors and nurses at Hua Hin hospital were mobilized to help treat the sick students.

 

Several of them were discharged after given first aid treatment but the very sick ones were hospitalized for observation.

 

Dr Somchai Thepcharoennirun, director of Hua Hin hospital, said it was too premature to blame food poisoning as the cause of the mass sickness until the provincial health officials had examined the food samples and the faeces of some of the patients.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/over-50-students-rushed-to-hospitals-for-suspected-food-poisoning/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-11-17

[Thaiwrath]

By no means an isolated case, there must be some sort of common denominator.

Financial gain somewhere along the line maybe ?

[Scott]

Many of the school food programs do not adhere to the most basic hygiene standards, including the storage of perishable foods.   I am actually astonished there isn't more of this.   Of course, there could be, but unless a lot of students get quite ill, it's probably not reported.  

[trogers]

Recycled ice?

[worgeordie]

My daughter had food poison on Tuesday,after eating at a hot pot place,

vomit,diarrhea,fever, I think the food handling could do with a lot of improvement,

when you have supermarkets,displaying cooked and uncooked meats in the same

case,but it also happens in the West,with some people even dying.

regards worgeordie

[trogers]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

My daughter had food poison on Tuesday,after eating at a hot pot place,

vomit,diarrhea,fever, I think the food handling could do with a lot of improvement,

when you have supermarkets,displaying cooked and uncooked meats in the same

case,but it also happens in the West,with some people even dying.

regards worgeordie

 

Like I have said, recycled ice?

 

Note that many shops place meat and seafood on chipped ice instead of having proper refrigeration units...

 

You even see this in large supermarkets.

Edited November 17, 2016 by trogers

[flyingdoc]

Properly cooked street food is often safer !

[Pimay1]

With all he un-refrigerated eggs I expect there is a lot more salmonella cases than get reported.

[optad]

1 hour ago, flyingdoc said:

Properly cooked street food is often safer !

Any properly handled food would be.

[optad]

"Dr Somchai Thepcharoennirun, director of Hua Hin hospital, said it was too premature to blame food poisoning as the cause "

 

This PC caution is another epidemic in Thai society. Excusing the grammar, surely when fifty school children are rushed to hospital with stomach et al we can accede and accept the obvious without necessarily cause anyone to lose face.

 

It's food poisoning and everyone knows its the school canteen!

[manicmike68]

Has anybody ever actually seen anyone use gloves when preparing food in Thailand. Preparing food with gloves on should be mandatory.

[Scott]

Some years ago, a group of teachers I worked with went to a local outdoor restaurant.  The kitchen area was fairly open and quite clean.   On the cleanliness level it was definitely a cut above most restaurants.   That said, this rather large group -- maybe 15 teachers, all managed to get ill.   The level of illness ranged from minor diarrhea to hospitalization for several days for two.   Some people ate and drank, some only ate and some only drank.   Some had ice in their drinks, some didn't, but everyone got ill.   From that it would appear it was Salmonella and it was that the dishes were probably contaminated (as well as the food).  

 

Eventually someone called the local health official to ask if someone could go by and talk to the owner.  No complaint was filed, but it was hard for the foreign teachers to convey the situation.   Also, everyone liked the place and would have been most comfortable if whatever it was got taken care of.   The health officials wouldn't go unless there was a formal complaint.

 

How seriously ill people got seemed to be related to how long they had been in Thailand.   The two who ended up in the hospital, were new to Thailand.  The ones who got quite sick had been around for a while and those who experienced very little had been around for quite a while.   Of course, everyone was somewhere between mid 20's to early 50's and in good health.  

 

For elderly people, people with compromised immune systems and children food poisoning can be a serious problem.   Thailand is now aging and it may become a bigger problem.   Schools, however, should have periodic inspections and instructions on preparation, hygiene, food storage, and disinfecting.   

 

It also might be a good idea to make these open air cafeterias a little more closed.   I once saw a bird crap in the soup while perched on one of the roof beams.   I decided to forego the free lunch that day.  

[bark]

4 hours ago, trogers said:

Recycled ice?

Recycled ice ?   Now that's funny.  But I'm not sure you realize it !

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, Pimay1 said:

With all he un-refrigerated eggs I expect there is a lot more salmonella cases than get reported.

 

America refrigerates eggs. The UK does not, and nor do stores and markets in Thailand, but somehow most people survive. 

[Enoon]

 

"The teachers said that a group of people brought food to the school for the students for lunch. The food included fried chicken, boiled eggs in soy sauce and doughnut."

 

The rapidity of the outbreak (after lunch and before the end of the school)  ie very fast, would indicate toxic contamination (natural or chemical).

 

"Ordinary" bacterial infections (such as salmonella) have to multiply in the gut before they start working their "magic", whereas the effects of toxins will manifest themselves very quickly.

 

My guess is natural toxin in this case:

"Common symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus (edit:bacterial toxin, result of bad food handling) food poisoning include: a rapid onset which is usually 1–8 hours, nausea, explosive vomiting for up to 24 hours, abdominal cramps/pain, headache, weakness, diarrhea and usually a subnormal body temperature."

 

"If symptoms occur within one to six hours after eating the food, it suggests that it is caused by a bacterial toxin or a chemical rather than live bacteria."

 

It may have been chemical.  I'm pretty sure we can discount the "Ice Theory".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by Enoon

[Enoon]

 

"Rescue workers were rushed to the school which is operated by border patrol policemen"  ??

Edited November 17, 2016 by Enoon

[optad]

@scotty's more 'frequent inspections' and less open cafeterias and fortunate immunity by length of stay et al ... THese ideas are great but perhaps the solution is less remedial? 

 

Why do things always have to be fixed after the fact? Progress is being proactive and having standards which just preclude this happening or the frequency being relevant. The distinction between being remedial and proactive is a regressive societal attribute.

[DLang]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

By no means an isolated case, there must be some sort of common denominator.

Financial gain somewhere along the line maybe ?

 

More like absolute lack of knowledge of food safety processes by every local involved in the food preparation. 

 

 

You could try to teach them, but don't try to a teach a pig how to dance. You only confuse the pig, and frustrate yourself. 

 

 

[adhd]

food hygiene in thailand ???? even in front of upscale VILLA MARKET, they sell cooked meats and leave it for hours in the heat outside 

[Shot]

57 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

"The teachers said that a group of people brought food to the school for the students for lunch. The food included fried chicken, boiled eggs in soy sauce and doughnut."

 

The rapidity of the outbreak (after lunch and before the end of the school)  ie very fast, would indicate toxic contamination (natural or chemical).

 

"Ordinary" bacterial infections (such as salmonella) have to multiply in the gut before they start working their "magic", whereas the effects of toxins will manifest themselves very quickly.

 

My guess is natural toxin in this case:

"Common symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus (edit:bacterial toxin, result of bad food handling) food poisoning include: a rapid onset which is usually 1–8 hours, nausea, explosive vomiting for up to 24 hours, abdominal cramps/pain, headache, weakness, diarrhea and usually a subnormal body temperature."

 

"If symptoms occur within one to six hours after eating the food, it suggests that it is caused by a bacterial toxin or a chemical rather than live bacteria."

 

It may have been chemical.  I'm pretty sure we can discount the "Ice Theory".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Spot on IMHO.

[elgordo38]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

had examined the food samples and the faeces of some of the patients.

Grunt and push time. Its amazing what the stool tells you about a persons health. At my age I just don't give a sh*t anymore. Leave my stool alone. 

[DogNo1]

I got food poisoning three days ago from eating steamed squash that had apparently been stored at room temperature for a couple of hours.  This was purchased from a big name market.  I am now switching to food that has just been prepared by a store, restaurant or myself.  I will scrupulously avoid prepared food stored at room temperature.  That will include A LOT of the food sold by the market where I shop.  I wonder if Thai people become immune to the bacteria in the food.  At my supermarket, the food in the steam tables is just warm and a lot of cooked eggs, chicken, ham and beef is simply displayed on tables at room temperature.