YASOTHON, Thailand — Health authorities have initiated a comprehensive cleanup and fumigation of an educational facility in the Muang district of Yasothon province after a mass food poisoning incident left more than 140 students ill. The outbreak, which occurred at Municipal 3 School, prompted immediate medical intervention and a temporary suspension of classes to prevent the further spread of the illness.

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The severe wave of sickness struck the student body yesterday, forcing emergency responders to rush the affected children to the local district hospital for urgent first-aid treatment. While the majority of the students received initial care and were stabilized, seven individuals required hospital admission due to the severity of their symptoms. Yasothon Governor Chanchai Sornsriwichai, accompanied by senior provincial officials, immediately deployed to the school to manage the crisis and oversee the initial emergency response. The governor and his staff later visited the district hospital to check on the condition of the hospitalized students, who were primarily suffering from extreme stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, high fevers, and severe dehydration.

To ensure the safety of the remaining student population and eradicate any potential biological hazards, provincial authorities ordered the complete closure of Municipal 3 School for two days. This suspension allows public health officials to conduct a deep clean and fumigate the entire school compound. Concurrently, medical teams have collected extensive samples, including leftover food, raw ingredients, drinking water, and biological fluids from the affected victims, sending them to laboratories for rigorous testing. The hospital director, Dr. Thanomsilp Karnmalee, indicated that food poisoning is the primary suspect in the mass illness, though the definitive cause will only be confirmed once the laboratory results are finalized.

In a separate but related public health concern in the northeastern region, a suspected food poisoning incident in Udon Thani province has also drawn the attention of health investigators. Thirteen individuals were admitted to the provincial hospital after consuming noodles from a local vendor. Fortunately, twelve of the patients have since been discharged, with only one remaining under medical observation. Investigators have seized food and ingredient samples from the noodle shop for analysis. The vendor’s family provided a startling explanation for the incident, claiming that the shop had run out of regular salt. The owner stated he used an unidentified white substance he mistakenly believed to be salt, which his son had reportedly acquired in two small bags from a scavenger.

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These concurrent incidents have heightened public health vigilance across the region. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, urging educational institutions and food vendors to adhere strictly to hygiene and safety protocols.

-Thailand News (TN)