Primary schools deny food poisoning

Two primary schools have denied that a spate of student sicknesses last week were due to food poisoning in their canteens, instead blaming air pollution for the outbreaks of vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

At least 20 students from Shanghai Xinguang School in Minhang district and the Affiliated Primary School of the Shanghai Industry and Commerce Foreign Language School in Pudong New Area fell ill in two separate incidents last week. Although all students became sick after eating dinner in their school canteens, both schools denied that food was the cause, Xinmin Evening News reported.

Local health and education authorities are investigating the two cases. The Shanghai Food and Drug Administration has taken food samples from Shanghai Xinguang School for testing. The result will be published this week.

However, school authorities from Shanghai Xinguang have already told parents via text message that officers from the disease control authorities had been to the school and had already ruled out the possibility of food poisoning.

Though the school claimed that a little more than 10 students fell sick, the number could be more.

A doctor from the pediatrics department at the Minhang District Central Hospital said in a program on Shanghai Television Station Friday that she had treated about 13 children from the same class at the school, and that more students had been seen by other doctors.

The students were mostly from class 1 in Shanghai Xinguang's fourth grade. So many students fell ill right after eating their lunch that the teacher had to cancel the afternoon classes, according to the TV report.

A boy from the class claimed that he smelt something like disinfectant in the meal, but the teacher told the class that there was nothing wrong with the food, and that they were sick because of high levels of air pollution.

The Affiliated Primary School of the Shanghai Industry and Commerce Foreign Language School also blamed the bad air quality when a number of its students suffered a number of cases of stomach aches and vomiting, which started from Wednesday.

The Nanhui Central Hospital has seen more than 10 students from the school, all with similar symptoms.