Food poisoning fells students
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 09/08/2006 7:42 AM
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: More than 250 incoming students at the state run agriculture polytechnic in Kupang had to seek hospital care Wednesday for food poisoning.
Several people said the students, who are taking part in an orientation program, became sick with nausea and diarrhea after eating food provided for them. Of the 266 students who became ill, 12 are still being treated at Dr. WZ Johannes Hospital.
An official with the orientation program, Yusak, said the new students in the program were busy on the campus from 5 a.m. until late in the afternoon, and that all their meals were provided for them.
The head of the Kupang Drug Control Agency, I Wayan Wirastikan, said Thursday his office had taken samples of the food for testing.
""If food poisoning is caused by a chemical poison, the victims will feel the effects in less that two hours after eating the food. If it's longer than two hours, the cause might be microbes in the food,"" he said. -- JP
