PHAYAO---Sixty-two students fell ill and 50 of them were rushed to a hospital in Muang district on Monday night after eating <i>pak kard jor</i> (vegetable sour soup with pork) and <i>mam prik ong</i> (tomato-pork chili dip) for lunch at their school.
A first group of students, from Mathayom Suksa 1 (Grade 7) to 6 (Grade 12) at Chalermprakiart Somdej Phra Srinagarindra School at Huay Kaew village in Phu Kham Yao district, were sent from the school’s dormitory to Phayao Hospital about 8.30pm on Monday suffering from vomiting, severe stomach cramps and fever.
More students from the same school with the same symptoms were rushed to the hospital around midnight, hospital director Jiraporn Phataranuthaporn said on Tuesday.
A total of 62 students were taken ill, with 50 sent to the hospital and 12 others treated at the school’s dormitory, said Dr Jiraporn.
Of the 50 students, 39 were discharged on Tuesday morning. The 11 others remained at the hospital and were expected to return home in a day or two.
The hospital had not yet determined the exact cause of the students’ illness. Provincial heath authorities were investigating, she said.
Dr Khachorn Winaipanich, head of the Phayao provincial health office, said on Tuesday food samples were being gathered for testing and an investigation was underway. A mobile healthcare unit had been sent to the school.
An initial inquiry found students began suffering stomach pains and vomiting on Monday afternoon after having lunch at the school. They had been served northern-style dishes, nam prik ong and phak kad jor, said Dr Khachorn.
At night, the sick students’ symptoms had worsened and the school sent most of them to the hospital.
Phayao governor Supachai Iemsuwan on Tuesday visited the ill students at the hospital. He was told the school had organised a sports day on Monday and served the two popular northern dishes to the students during the lunch break.