Food served in LGU program downs over 200 kids in Camarines Norte

LEGAZPI CITY—More than 200 children in Camarines Norte province were sent to various hospitals on Sunday after reportedly eating spoiled spaghetti during a local government-initiated feeding program in Jose Panganiban town, a health official said on Monday.

The children, aged 6 to 13 years old, complained of abdominal cramps, weakness and nausea and experienced vomiting and diarrhea, said Patrick Reyes, administrative assistant of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) in Camarines Norte.

Reyes said they were taken to the Jose Panganiban Hospital (JPH) in the said town, Labo District Hospital in Labo town and Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital in Daet town.

He said the victims, who came from three villages, were participants to the yearly feeding program hosted by the Jose Panganiban local government held every March, which started three years ago.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, he said 267 children were either confined or treated for food poisoning in various hospitals in the province, 144 of them admitted to the JPH.

He did not say how many children remained at hospitals on Monday.

Reyes, quoting a report, said spaghetti was served during the feeding program that started at lunch and ended around 6 p.m. Sunday.

Local health officials suspected that the noodles, served in Styrofoam containers, were spoiled.

Reyes said other children took the food home.

He said health officials collected samples of food served during the event and submitted these for laboratory examination. RAM

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