Chilli-flavoured chicken and rice is suspected of causing 200 pupils to be struck down with runny stomachs, headaches and vomiting in Bizana yesterday.
Activities at Mlindazwe Junior Secondary came to a sudden chaotic stop at 9am yesterday as illness – and hysteria – broke out among children from Grade R to Grade 7.
While the government-funded lunch the day before was blamed for the illness by some in the community, other sources said the cause was still a mystery.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “As part of our investigations we will take samples from the food they ate and we will take it from there.”
A clinic nurse said: “We suspect that it’s food poisoning because some of them have diarrhoea.
“But we are not sure as yet, as teachers are disputing that it’s food poisoning. Those who were very sick were sent to the hospital.”
Authorities, the local community and transport operators rallied together to ferry children to a clinic in buses and taxis.
Twenty of the more serious cases were taken by emergency service vehicles to hospital.
Kupelo confirmed the incident, saying it had been alleged that the schoolchildren “ate something with chilli pepper”, he said.
Kupelo said according to the reports they had received, pupils started vomiting, while others had headaches and stomach cramps.
The school’s principal, Lucky Mthamo, refused to talk to the Daily Dispatch, saying he was not the spokesman for the department.
“Two pupils came to the office to report that they were not feeling well and had stomach cramps,” said a school head of department, Prudence Madikizela, however.
“Teachers went from class to class checking to see if there were any other pupils that were experiencing the same problems,” Madikizela added.
The outbreak came after the pupils had eaten the government-funded school lunch at 3pm on Wednesday.
“On that day they had eaten rice and chicken.”
Madikizela said even though the pupils had probably eaten supper at their homes after their meal at the school, it was suspected that the rice and chicken had triggered the bug.
Department of education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said upon hearing of the incident, a circuit manager was dispatched to monitor the situation.
Pulumani could not confirm whether the pupils had fallen ill due to the meal they had eaten at the school.
“We do not have that kind of report that their sickness has to do with food. Our officials in the area will compile a report and we will then release a statement,” he said.
Bus owner Bonga Manci said he was shocked when he received a call from a teacher who wanted him to take the sick pupils to clinic.
lIn February in Mqanduli, a pupil died and 30 others from Bhekisizwe Junior Secondary, including a teacher, were rushed to hospital.
The principal, Thembinkosi Tshemese, said at the time: “We had just dismissed the pupils and they were heading to their respective classes. We were in the staff room when a pupil came running in saying one girl had fallen ill.”
The 15-year-old Grade 8 pupil could not say what was wrong with her, but showed signs of being in agony.
She was rushed to the nearest clinic but she did not survive.
“The nurses did everything they could but apparently she was already dead when we arrived there. “As we were leaving, two other pupils arrived and we were called back to the school because more pupils were not well.”
The 30 pupils and the teacher were rushed to Zithulele Hospital.
Tshemese said: “Some were just crying and others had epileptic fits.” He said the pupils became sick well before the food from the school nutrition programme was served.
Kupelo said at the time, of the 30 female pupils who became ill, only 18 were admitted. He said doctors suspected hysteria.
The chief of the area, Nkosi Daluhlanga Dalasile said: “This happened in 2014 but no one died. “Our community is shocked over what has happened. We are waiting for those in hospital to tell us what happened to them.” — sinom@dispatch.co.za; Additional reporting by Zikhona Moyikwa
Tummy bug hits Bizana pupils
Activities at Mlindazwe Junior Secondary came to a sudden chaotic stop at 9am yesterday as illness – and hysteria – broke out among children from Grade R to Grade 7.
While the government-funded lunch the day before was blamed for the illness by some in the community, other sources said the cause was still a mystery.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “As part of our investigations we will take samples from the food they ate and we will take it from there.”
A clinic nurse said: “We suspect that it’s food poisoning because some of them have diarrhoea.
“But we are not sure as yet, as teachers are disputing that it’s food poisoning. Those who were very sick were sent to the hospital.”
Authorities, the local community and transport operators rallied together to ferry children to a clinic in buses and taxis.
Twenty of the more serious cases were taken by emergency service vehicles to hospital.
Kupelo confirmed the incident, saying it had been alleged that the schoolchildren “ate something with chilli pepper”, he said.
Kupelo said according to the reports they had received, pupils started vomiting, while others had headaches and stomach cramps.
The school’s principal, Lucky Mthamo, refused to talk to the Daily Dispatch, saying he was not the spokesman for the department.
“Two pupils came to the office to report that they were not feeling well and had stomach cramps,” said a school head of department, Prudence Madikizela, however.
“Teachers went from class to class checking to see if there were any other pupils that were experiencing the same problems,” Madikizela added.
The outbreak came after the pupils had eaten the government-funded school lunch at 3pm on Wednesday.
“On that day they had eaten rice and chicken.”
Madikizela said even though the pupils had probably eaten supper at their homes after their meal at the school, it was suspected that the rice and chicken had triggered the bug.
Department of education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said upon hearing of the incident, a circuit manager was dispatched to monitor the situation.
Pulumani could not confirm whether the pupils had fallen ill due to the meal they had eaten at the school.
“We do not have that kind of report that their sickness has to do with food. Our officials in the area will compile a report and we will then release a statement,” he said.
Bus owner Bonga Manci said he was shocked when he received a call from a teacher who wanted him to take the sick pupils to clinic.
lIn February in Mqanduli, a pupil died and 30 others from Bhekisizwe Junior Secondary, including a teacher, were rushed to hospital.
The principal, Thembinkosi Tshemese, said at the time: “We had just dismissed the pupils and they were heading to their respective classes. We were in the staff room when a pupil came running in saying one girl had fallen ill.”
The 15-year-old Grade 8 pupil could not say what was wrong with her, but showed signs of being in agony.
She was rushed to the nearest clinic but she did not survive.
“The nurses did everything they could but apparently she was already dead when we arrived there. “As we were leaving, two other pupils arrived and we were called back to the school because more pupils were not well.”
The 30 pupils and the teacher were rushed to Zithulele Hospital.
Tshemese said: “Some were just crying and others had epileptic fits.” He said the pupils became sick well before the food from the school nutrition programme was served.
Kupelo said at the time, of the 30 female pupils who became ill, only 18 were admitted. He said doctors suspected hysteria.
The chief of the area, Nkosi Daluhlanga Dalasile said: “This happened in 2014 but no one died. “Our community is shocked over what has happened. We are waiting for those in hospital to tell us what happened to them.” — sinom@dispatch.co.za; Additional reporting by Zikhona Moyikwa
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