32 at American School in Taichung fall ill of suspected food poisoning

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) Thirty-two people at the American School in Taichung fell sick and developed symptoms that included vomiting and dizziness on Friday, in a case of suspected food poisoning, according to Taichung City government.

The city's Office of Food and Drug Safety said 130 teachers and students ate lunch boxes ordered from outside the school, with 32 falling ill.

After receiving a report about the suspected food poisoning at 3:35 p.m., the city's Fire Bureau dispatched several ambulances to the school, which is located in Beitun District.

The ambulances took nine teachers and students to Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital and Taichung Medical University Hospital for treatment, while the remaining affected students were taken home by their parents and later sought medical attention, the fire bureau said.

Local news media reported some students threw up five to six times, phoning their parents for help.

The Office of Food and Drug Safety said it dispatched a team to the school and the restaurant that provided the lunch boxes to conduct an inspection and collect samples, adding that the results will be released within two weeks at the earliest.

According to the office, if any pathogenic bacteria is detected in the collected food samples, the vendor faces a fine ranging between NT$60,000 (US$1,974) to NT$200 million under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

If the pathogenic bacteria in the food samples and samples taken from sick individuals is found to be the same, the food vendor will be subject to further investigation by police and prosecutors, the office said.

In response, Taichung's Education Bureau said it has instructed the school to observe affected teachers and students and provide all necessary assistance to the parents of sick students.

The school has also been instructed to help affected teachers and students seek insurance compensation, the bureau added.