Food poisoning downs over 100 students in Makati

Snacks bought from the cafeteria downed over 100 students and a teacher at the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Makati City on Thursday, according to the city health department.

In an interview on GMA News TV's "QRT," city health department chief Dr. Bernard Sese said the children ate biscuits, wafers and other snacks from their school cafeteria during their morning recess at 9:30 a.m.

Seven students complained of stomachaches, vomiting, and nausea by 10:30 a.m. at the school clinic and were followed shortly by a slew of others, he said.

About 44 victims were rushed to the Ospital ng Makati, where they received oral dehydration solutions. Two remained hooked to IV bags at the hospital due to intense vomiting as of Thursday afternoon.

All in all, 127 students had received treatment, the report said.

Dr. Jeremy Cordero, Osmak-EMS chief, said in a report on "24 Oras" that the hospital had already tracked down the common food eaten by the students.

"All the patients who are presenting these symptoms seem to have eaten the same thing. Some of them has signs of dehydration, not so severe," Cordero said.

"They would do an analysis of the cases, they will reinterview the patients again, they will investigate the school, and they will get samples of the possible agents," Dr. Bianca Ortiz, emergency room doctor, said.

Sese said samples of the food ingested by the victims will be sent to the laboratory for analysis. Vomit samples from the patients will also be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

"Ang plano ng aming pamhalaang lungsod, ng aming health department, itong mga pagkaing nabanggit ko ay ipasusuri po sa health and drug administration para magkaroon po ng health analysis," Sese said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News