Salmonella found in 18 pupils in Manila food poisoning

MANILA, Philippines – Eighteen of 106 students hospitalized after eating at their school canteens last week tested positive for infection of salmonella enteritidis bacteria, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Thursday. The 106 students were stricken with gastroenteritis after eating at the canteen of the Jose Corazon de Jesus Elementary School in Tondo, Manila. They ate egg sandwiches, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, and mais con hielo (corn kernels in shaved ice with milk and sugar). Rectal swabs were taken from 30 of the 106 students, according to Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the DOH’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control. "The specimens were thoroughly analyzed and 18 of them tested positive for salmonella enteritidis," she said in an interview. But the DOH has not yet identified which food item was contaminated with the bacteria. "Samples were also collected but laboratory analysis is still going on," Oliveros said. "So we don’t know yet the cause of the contamination." Salmonella enteritidis can be eggs that appear normal, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. If these eggs are undercooked or eaten raw, the bacteria can cause illness. "During the 1980s, illness related to contaminated eggs occurred most frequently in the northeastern United States, but now illness caused by S. enteritidis is increasing in other parts of the country as well," the website said."Consumers should be aware of the disease and learn how to minimize the chances of becoming ill." To prevent infection, Oliveros advised parents to have their children bring their own food and beverages if they are not sure of the qualify of the food and beverages being sold in school. - GMANews.TV