Food poisoning in 160 students at elementary, middle and high schools in Jeonbuk, South Korea; school lunches temporarily suspended

About 160 students in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, showed symptoms suspected to be food poisoning, prompting health authorities to investigate the cause.
On the 3rd, the Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education announced that about 160 patients suspected of having food poisoning were found at 15 elementary, middle and high schools in the Namwon area.
Starting in the afternoon of the 2nd, students and faculty at these schools began showing symptoms that were suspected to be food poisoning, including vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Most of the patients received simple treatment at Namwon Medical Center and other facilities on the same day and were then sent home.
The schools where the cases were clustered were providing school lunches that day, and some of the suppliers were supplying the same ingredients.
The North Jeolla Province Office of Education and Namwon City Public Health Center took samples from patients, school lunches and cooking utensils and requested detailed testing at the North Jeolla Province Health and Environment Research Institute.
An official from the Jeonbuk Superintendent of Education said, "Given that outbreaks have occurred in clusters at multiple schools, it appears that there may have been a problem with the food delivered by a certain company.
"We are closely monitoring the situation as there is a possibility that further cases may emerge," he said. Meanwhile, the schools have decided to temporarily suspend school lunches, shorten classes, and prepare alternative meals.
It was also confirmed that final exams have been postponed at four schools.