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Unclean food causes mass sickness in school

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-05 21:50

XI'AN - Unclean food caused a mass illness at a primary school in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with 61 people still in the hospital, health experts said on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 12 students from the Qidi Primary School in Yangling had been discharged, while 59 others and two teachers were still being treated.

On Sunday morning, students had symptoms of stomachache, headache and nausea, and 71 students and two teachers were hospitalized.

Doctors on Monday said the illness could have been gas poisoning, as students said they had smelled an unpleasant odor before falling sick.

But the experts on Tuesday said investigations and clinical tests showed unclean food led to the illness.

The private school recruited 210 pupils for extra classes during the summer vacation period. The classes have been halted.