Mpumalanga: A total of 40 students from Ekwazini Secondary School in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province were hospitalized on Tuesday following a suspected food poisoning incident, local authorities said Wednesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education reported that three students initially experienced severe stomach cramps after consuming snacks. As more students exhibited similar symptoms, the number of those transported to a nearby hospital for assessment increased to 40. The department confirmed that all affected students are in a stable, non-critical condition and have since been discharged.
Health inspectors have been dispatched to investigate the cause of the outbreak. Samples of the suspected snacks, other food items, and local water sources have been sent for laboratory testing to determine the exact cause of the illness.
This incident is part of a pattern of similar cases across South Africa. Media reports indicate that dozens of students have either died or been hospitalized in recent years due to suspected food poisoning linked to snacks purchased from local informal shops. This has led the government to previously declare such outbreaks as “a national security threat.”