Yasothon school closes after 147 kindergarten pupils fall ill in suspected food poisoning outbreak

A municipal school in Yasothon has been ordered closed for two days after 147 kindergarten pupils developed stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, in a suspected food poisoning outbreak now under investigation by provincial health authorities.

Municipal School 3 Ha Thanwakhom, under Yasothon Municipality, announced the temporary closure on Thursday (June 11) after the young pupils suddenly fell ill from the morning of Wednesday (June 10).

147 young pupils affected

Suphot Unta, director of Municipal School 3 Ha Thanwakhom, issued the closure order as a special temporary measure after 147 kindergarten pupils were reported to have developed severe stomach pain, vomiting and loose stools at around the same time.

Initial medical assessments suggest the illness may be linked to food poisoning, although official laboratory results have not yet been confirmed.

School closed for cleaning and disease control

The school suspended classes from Thursday to Friday to help prevent and control any possible spread of illness, as well as to ensure the safety of pupils, teachers and education personnel.

Classes are scheduled to resume as normal on June 15.

During the closure, the school will carry out a major clean-up and disinfection of classrooms, school buildings, the canteen, toilets and all common areas. The school will also continue monitoring the situation closely with public health agencies.

Governor orders urgent investigation

Yasothon governor Chanchai Sornsriwichai called an urgent meeting with relevant agencies to assess the situation and ordered epidemiology teams to conduct a full disease investigation.

Officials have collected samples from food handlers, raw ingredients, drinking water and the school environment for laboratory testing in order to identify the source of the outbreak.

Doctors have also taken samples from pupils receiving treatment at Yasothon Hospital for further analysis. Authorities are still waiting for official confirmation of the test results.

Hospital says children’s condition not critical

Dr Thanomsil Kanmali, director of Yasothon Hospital, and Dr Kiriya Jitnapakan, a paediatrician at the hospital, said around 15 pupils were currently being treated in hospital.

Doctors said the children’s condition was not considered a major cause for concern at this stage. Most were suffering from high fever and dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhoea, requiring intravenous fluids, medication and close monitoring.

The hospital confirmed that it had prepared medical personnel, patient beds and a 24-hour response plan in case more children required treatment.

Parents have been advised to take children to hospital immediately if they develop severe diarrhoea, frequent vomiting, high fever or unusual drowsiness.

Municipality vows transparent probe

Yasothon Municipality said it would investigate the incident transparently. If any problems are found in food production, cooking or food management, legal and disciplinary action will be taken in line with relevant regulations.

The governor and his delegation have also visited pupils receiving treatment in hospital to offer support and reassure parents as health officials continue working to determine the cause of the outbreak.