32 students down with food poisoning after eating 'ayam masak lemak cili padi'

MELAKA - A total of 32 students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tinggi Perempuan Melaka here were struck down by food poisoning after eating 'ayam masak lemak cili padi' last Sunday.

Health, Human Resources and Unity Exco Ngwe Hee Sem said that the students started experiencing symptoms of diarrhoea, stomach ache, and vomiting early Monday morning.

After which, all of them were taken to Peringgit Health Clinic for further treatment and were reported to be stable, he said.

"The students claimed that there were physical changes in the chicken that were eaten, apart from a strange taste.

"All of them were only treated as outpatients," he said during a press conference at the second term's second session of the 15th Melaka state assembly in Ayer Keroh on Tuesday.

Also present was Melaka Health Director Datuk Dr Rusdi Abd Rahman.

The Machap Jaya assemblyman said that the boarding school's kitchen had also been given a notice of closure for 14 days under the Infectious Disease Control Act 1988 (Act 342).

"The Central Melaka district health office (PKD) will investigate further to find out the cause of the poisoning outbreak," he said.

Commenting further, a total of eight cases of food poisoning outbreaks have been reported within the first seven months of this year, involving three cases each in Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah districts and two in Jasin.

"Five outbreak cases reported involved schools, and no deaths were reported," he said.