On April 13, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that according to records, 202 students at Binh Quoi Tay Elementary School showed signs of suspected food poisoning. Among them, 57 students had to be hospitalized for inpatient treatment, including 39 cases at Gia Dinh People's Hospital, 16 cases at Children's Hospital 2 and 2 cases at Binh Thanh Hospital.
By 8 am on the same day, there were still 33 students being treated as inpatients and all in stable condition.
The results of fecal culture at Gia Dinh People's Hospital showed that 17 samples were positive for Salmonella bacteria. PCR test results performed by OUCRU continued to confirm the presence of Salmonella enteritidis in the specimens. Through this, it was determined that this was the agent related to the food poisoning incident at the school.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, Salmonella enteritidis is a bacteria that often exists in the digestive tract of many animal species and can be transmitted to humans through contaminated food.
Common sources of infection include eggs and egg products, undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk and dairy products, contaminated fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as cross-infection during food processing due to sharing knives, cutting boards or tools for raw and cooked food.
To prevent food poisoning caused by Salmonella enteritidis, it is necessary to implement synchronous measures such as choosing foods with clear origins, with expiry dates and no signs of spoilage; thoroughly cooking meat, eggs and poultry products; not using raw or undercooked food.
In addition, maintain personal hygiene, wash hands thoroughly before processing and after going to the toilet; regularly clean surfaces and kitchen utensils; separate raw and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination; use food immediately after cooking, or refrigerate properly and heat thoroughly before eating.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health emphasized that the recent food poisoning incident continues to be a warning about the risk of food poisoning in the school environment.
This is also a requirement for educational institutions, meal providers, parents and the community to strengthen food safety supervision, strictly comply with hygiene, processing and food preservation procedures. At the same time, proactively monitor students' health to detect early and handle promptly when there are suspicious signs, minimizing the risk of food poisoning clusters in schools.
