China View — A total of 213 children and five teachers of a school in the southeast Ecuadorian province of Morona Santiago were sickened after dining in the school canteen, the health authorities said on Wednesday.

Alvaro Diaz, director of the Hospital Pio XII of Sucua said the health authorities confirmed massive intoxication though lab tests.

The poisoning occurred on Tuesday in Atahualpa school, where there are 300 students. Most of the affected were sent home by Tuesday evening, but 12 children were still hospitalized and 13 others were still under medical observation on Wednesday.

The doctors said all of the sickened had the same symptoms: diarrhea and stomachache, and due to the large number of patients, the provincial health authorities declared an alert in different hospitals.

The cause of the poisoning is not yet clear, but the food samples have been taken to a state-run lab, with test results expected by the weekend.

Source:

China View. "Over 200 sickened over school food poisoning in Ecuador," http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/26/content_12541946.htm; 26 Nov. 2009.