Mystery illness baffles doctor
ABOUT 50 children at a Nausori primary school were hit by a sudden mystery illness and were rushed to the Nausori Health Centre, an article in The Fiji Times of November 14, 1987 read.
The children of Vunimono Arya School began complaining of headaches, chest pains and giddiness soon after lunch.
They were rushed to the Nausori Health Centre where they were all treated for food poisoning and sent home.
The school’s headteacher, Shiri Bhawan, said he did not know what had caused the illness.
“All those suffering had eaten ice block sold at the school canteen,” he said.
The ice blocks were a commercially packed brand.
“But some children who had eaten the ice block were not sick,” Mr Bhawan said.
According to Mr Bhawan, Dr Ratu Rageci Tuisawau who attended to the children at the health centre was also surprised that the children had not complained of stomach aches and cramps — a common symptom of food poisoning. He said he tried to find out if a particular flavour of the ice block had caused the poisoning, but it seemed there was no consistency in what the sick children had eaten.
Dr Tuisawau said the illness appeared to have been caused by something the children had eaten.
They were not seriously affected.
Health Department officials took samples of the ice block for testing.
Mr Bhawan said he noticed a pupil lying in the sick bay soon after lunch.
Other children in his class complained of giddiness and headaches.
“A check with other classes showed there were as many as 36 children suffering from the same complaints,” he said.
While at the health centre, more pupils were brought in and the number must have been close to 50,” he said.
A number of children were given injections and sent home.
“Some children have to go back in the next few days for more injections,” Mr Bhawan said.
A parent of one of the children said he was not aware his child had been sick at school.
“She was left to walk home from the health centre and no one called either my wife or myself to tell us what happened,” he said.
“Luckily, we live close by, and I fear to think of what may have happened to children who live a long way off.”
His daughter had to be taken back to the health centre because she did not seem to improve.
According to a doctor The Fiji Times spoke to, common symptoms of food poisoning are nausea aches and cramps.
But if the poison is caused by bacteria, fever and diarrhoea may also occur.
If the poisoning was caused by toxins, the students would also suffer aches and pain in the joints.
He said the symptoms described by the children could be related to chemical poisoning.