ILOILO CITY – The Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) is conducting an investigation on the suspected food poisoning which downed 42 high school students from various schools in San Dionisio, Iloilo on Sunday.
Ziforah Sotomil of PESU, which is under the Provincial Health Office, said that all the victims suffered diarrhea and underwent stool examination.
However, they are still waiting for the list of patients from the district hospital and to see what were their symptoms to determine whether or not it was really food poisoning.
Sotomil clarified that all of these students were already sent home as of Monday morning.
Several student-participants of the three-day Barkada Kontra Droga encampment held in Dumangas town, January 12-14, were rushed to Dumangas District Hospital after experiencing stomach pain in the afternoon of January 13.
These students are from Nicomedes R. Tubar Sr. National High School and Hacienda Conchita National High School in San Dionisio, Iloilo.
A catering service allegedly provided them with pork and corn as viand for lunch during that day.
The Barkada Kontra Droga is a peer-based preventive education and information program to counter the dangers and ill effects of drug abuse.
The encampment features symposia and lecture on the ill effects of illegal drugs and some literary-musical contests and a female and male beauty pageant were also held.
More or less 4,000 participants, mostly junior and senior high school students, were at the camp. (PNA)
