Norovirus outbreak hits 170 pupils in Chinese kindergarten
- Ten pupils kept in hospital overnight for treatment and observation
- Parents report rapid effect of virus on their children
Dozens of kindergarten children reported symptoms of food poisoning after lunch at a school in Fujian province on Wednesday, renewing the debate on food safety on Chinese campuses.
The Fujian outbreak involving 170 children came after an international school in Shanghai was found in October to have stored mouldy vegetables and expired seasonings and led to citywide hygiene checks.
In the latest incident, administrators at Shizhe Kindergarten in Yongchun county, Quanzhou, told the county’s education bureau that pupils had become unwell.
Of the 170 who sought medical attention, 10 were kept in hospital overnight for treatment and observation, the bureau said.
A sample taken from a pupil and examined by disease control centre officials was found to contain norovirus, which commonly breaks out in winter months.
