PANGLAO, Bohol – Jocelyn Bulias thought her two children were just suffering from either flatulence or indigestion after attending a birthday party in Panglao town on Saturday.
But the liniment she applied on Ian Jade, 3, and Iza Joy, 5, didn’t stop the stomach pains.
By Monday, their condition worsened that the children had fever, vomited and diarrhea, prompting Jocelyn to rush them to Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) in Tagbilaran City.
The children were just among the 58 people who fell ill after attending the birthday party hosted by the Estologa family in Purok 5, Barangay (village) Looc in Panglao town on Saturday morning.
The case of food poisoning in Panglao came a day after 85 pupils of Villa Teresita Elementary School in Ubay town got sick after eating ampao (puffed rice) on Friday.
Like in Ubay, the 58 guests of the party vomited and suffered stomachache, fever and diarrhea, barely two hours after they ate spaghetti, pancit (birthday noodles), fried chicken, hotdogs and ice-cream served during the party.
Most of the victims were children-the youngest was Ian Furmegones, three years old.
Like Bulias children, their parents didn’t bring them to the hospital until their condition worsened on Monday afternoon.
“I thought the stomach ache was caused by gas in the stomach or by eating too much food,” said Bulias.
She said she also felt dizzy and pain in the stomach after eating the spaghetti brought by her children.
Sandra Estologa,32, said she prepared the spaghetti and other dish around 11 p.m. on Friday for her daughter’s birthday party the next day.
She said she didn’t know what happened because she had been meticulous in preparing the food especially that the guests were mostly children.
The ingredients were properly cleaned cooked properly, she added.
Lucrecia Guibone, 77, who assisted Estologa in the kitchen, said there was nothing wrong with how the dishes were prepared.
“The food had no smell,” she said.
But her grandchildren- Denster Ivan Guibone, 10 and Sherlyn Guibone, 11; felt sick four hours after eating.
As of Monday 8 p.m., 22 victims were confined at GCGMH.
“The five victims, who were confined, were in stable condition,” said Jennelyn Maputol, encoder at the emergency room of the GCGMH. She also said that the findings were food poisoning and acute gastroenteritis with moderate dehydration.
Health authorities had yet to determine the main cause of the food poisoning.