Students in Wenjiang show no signs of foodborne diseases

The diagnosis results for the 36 students who fell sick at a primary school in Wenjiang district, Chengdu, Sichuan province found no abnormal indicators related to foodborne illness, the Wenjiang district government information office said in a statement on Friday morning.

According to the statement, the students were taken to Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital on Wednesday for blood, urine, and stool tests after moldy food was reportedly found in the canteen of a primary school affiliated with the Chengdu No 7 High School Development School, said Yuan Xiaoling, director of the district's health bureau, on Thursday.

Yuan said the disease control centers of both the city and the district also conducted epidemiological investigations and anal swab testing on the students. They also examined and sampled the food in the school's canteen.

"No abnormal indicators related to foodborne illness were found," Yuan said, adding that all of the students were discharged by 21 o'clock on Wednesday, and there were no abnormal reactions until now.

Authorities in Chengdu looked into the food safety incident at the primary school after parents posted videos and photos on Tuesday of moldy food in the school canteen, including tomatoes, meat pies, and frozen meat.

The district's market regulation bureau took samples of 19 batches of food and sealed all the food in the storeroom and freezer, the Wenjiang district government's information office said on Wednesday.

The public security bureau of Wenjiang district investigated eight school administrators in connection with the incident, according to the district government's information office.

An investigation team was also sent to the school by the city's education authority and the Chengdu Administration of Market Regulation to look into the incident.

The CPC Chengdu committee and the Chengdu government held a special meeting in Wenjiang district on Wednesday afternoon, stressing that any person or organization found responsible for violating food safety laws and regulations would be dealt with seriously.

Departments or persons who failed in their duty will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, said the city government's information office in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said that authorities would conduct thorough investigations into the schools and surrounding areas to ensure the safety of students and respond promptly to social and parental concerns.