Bengaluru: The State Public Health Institute (PHI) has rubbished media reports which alleged that the recent midday meal food poisoning at Urdu Model Primary Girls School in DJ Halli was due to the presence of E Coli. The PHI officials said the food sample from the school has been sent for bacteriological analysis and the results will be ready on Thursday. Only then a fair assessment should be made, they clarified.
"None of the children had fallen sick and E coli (Escherichia coli) is a germ, or bacterium, that lives in the digestive tracts of humans and animals and almost every food that we consume has this bacteria," said Dr Jayakumar, Joint Director, PHI. "The bacteria were there but unless the quantity of the E Coli is known, nobody can comment that the children fell sick because of it. We will share the report on Thursday and if it is more than the permissible quantity, we will definitely take action."
"E Coli is a normal bacteria and is present in the intestines and normally every cooked food has it. Provided some strains namely E Coli 0157:H7 causes diseases in people with low immunity. Hence E Coli is caused in immunocompromised individuals; either in old or very young people," says Dr Ansar Ahmed, Medical Superintendent of Epidemic Diseases Hospital. "If, a person is affected by the E Coli bacteria the common symptoms do not occur immediately and generally takes 3-4 days to manifest," he added.
But in this case the children complained of stomach ache and vomiting sensation a few hours after eating the meal, he pointed out.
While speaking to DC, Bangalore Urban District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Rajani also trashed the media report, "It is definitely not E Coli as it has an incubation period of 3-4 days and also not because of food poisoning. The second day I counselled some 22 children, who were admitted to Dr. Ambedkar hospital, and they were discharged in moments suggesting that it is simply mass hysterical behaviour causing panic among people, which can also be termed as phobia and has nothing to do with food poisoning."
The DHO said that they would receive the report on Thursday. The worst type of E Coli, can, however, cause diarrhea and even kidney failure.
