Recently, 19 students living in the dormitory of Ho Chi Minh City National University were hospitalized with symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. This has led to suspicions of food poisoning. According to BS.CK2 Ho Thanh Phong, Head of General Planning Department at Thu Duc Regional General Hospital, the students were admitted to the emergency room from 10:00 p.m. on May 8 to the early hours of May 9. Most of them experienced stomach pain while some also had vomiting and diarrhea after consuming dinner. Fortunately, none of the cases exhibited severe symptoms like dehydration or low blood pressure, and the patients’ conditions were reported as stable.
The hospital suspected food poisoning as the cause and promptly notified the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health. Authorities from the city’s Center for Disease Control are currently investigating the outbreak, although the specific food that triggered the symptoms remains unknown. Mr. Lai The Tuan, Head of the Dormitory General Department at the university, disclosed that the affected students had eaten at a canteen in dormitory B before falling ill. As a precaution, the dormitory management center has suspended the canteen’s operations and is cooperating with authorities in the investigation by providing food samples for testing.
The canteen is managed by a catering service company with a food safety certification and only distributes food to the dormitory but does not handle cooking directly on-site. Recent incidents of food poisoning in other areas have heightened concerns about cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods as well as poor hygiene practices among street vendors selling sushi to elementary schools students who displayed symptoms after consuming it during hot and humid weather conditions which create favorable conditions for bacterial growth and food spoilage . Experts advise consuming cooked food and boiled water, avoiding leaving food out for extended periods, maintaining proper food storage practices and practicing good hygiene by washing hands before and after handling food to minimize risks of collective incidents like this one.
In conclusion, while we wait for further investigation results about what caused this incident specifically it’s crucial to be aware about potential risks related to cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods as well as proper hygiene practices when handling any type of food especially during hot weather conditions when there’s an increase risk for bacterial growth or spoilage