Food Contamination Incident Leaves 68 St. Thomas Aquinas Igumori Students Hospitalised.
A total of 68 Form Four students from St. Thomas Aquinas Igumori Secondary School in Mbeere South, Embu, were hospitalised after reportedly consuming contaminated beef.
The affected students were taken to Kiritiri Level 4 Hospital for treatment, while three students required specialised care and were transferred to Embu Level 5 Hospital.
The school principal stated that the students consumed meat from a bull that had been slaughtered on Wednesday, February 5. The animal was slaughtered to commemorate the school’s good performance in the recently released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.
It was reported that Form Four students and two teachers specifically consumed the head of the bull on Thursday, after which they fell ill.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the source of the contamination. Meanwhile, medical teams are actively working to stabilise the affected students.
In April 2023, Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls High School in Kakamega County faced a severe health crisis when over 100 students were hospitalised with symptoms such as fever and diarrhoea.
Investigations by the Ministry of Health attributed the outbreak to food and water contamination, with laboratory results confirming bacterial infections, including Salmonella typhi and amebiasis. Tragically, two students lost their lives as a result of the outbreak.
A similar incident occurred shortly afterward at Butere Boys High School, also in Kakamega County, where approximately 100 students exhibited cholera-like symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhoea.
In response, the school administration sent the affected students home and collaborated with public health officials to determine the cause of the outbreak. Authorities decided to close the school indefinitely to protect the health of the students while awaiting a comprehensive report from health experts.
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In July 2023, Ikonge Girls High School in Nyamira County also experienced a food contamination incident. A total of 138 students were hospitalised after reporting acute diarrhoea and vomiting, symptoms suspected to have been caused by consuming contaminated food or water.
The affected students received treatment at various hospitals within the county while health officials collected samples for laboratory analysis to determine the precise cause.
The school administration cooperated with authorities to address the situation and implement preventive measures for the future.
Food Contamination Incident Leaves 68 St. Thomas Aquinas Igumori Students Hospitalised
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