BACOLOD CITY – About 100 pupils from the Handumanan Elementary School 1 in Bacolod City suspected to be suffering from food poisoning were rushed to Bacolod City hospitals Thursday and Friday.
Findings from the private hospitals was that cholera and amoebiasis hit the students who had been admitted since Oct. 13, Barangay (village) Handumanan Captain Ma. Febe Legaspi said.
Authorities are still investigating what the students ate or drank that triggered the poisoning.
As of Friday 104 patients had been rushed mostly to the Corazon Locsin Memorial Regional Hospital and a few to Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital and the Doctors Hospital, due to stomach ache, vomiting and loose bowel movement, Legaspi said.
Legaspi said those considered as probable cause of the poisoning were flavored juice, ice candy, halo-halo and fried chicken eaten by the students bought from the school canteen and from food stalls outside the school.
Affected individuals were mostly 10-12 years old, from Grades 1 to 6 of the school. There were a few students from Handumanan Elementary School 2 who were also affected because they escaped through the fence to buy food from the HES 1 canteen during school hours.
Schools Division Superintendent of Bacolod City Cynthia Dimavivas suspended the classes in HES 1 and 2 until Monday.
HES 1 Principal Milagros Macayan ordered the canteen and the ambulant vendors outside the school to temporary close as also ordered by the City Health Office.
CHO Head Dr. Grace Tan has already taken food samples for a laboratory tests from six food stalls, two from the canteen, and four from ambulant vendors.
Legaspi said they are still waiting for the results of the laboratory tests, adding that the food stalls will not be opened until she directs them to do so after the results are out.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday instructed the head of the City Health Office to check on the condition of the students at the different hospitals .
Dr. Jovy Vergara, assistant Bacolod City Health Officer, said water sampling from four sources in the area were taken for bacteriological examination including the source of ice used in juices that were sold to the students.
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