Worm in midday meal; 70 treated

Seventy students of the government higher primary school in Karya village of the were rushed to the hospital, after they consumed sambar (lentil soup) served through the midday meals programme, on Monday.

It is said that a worm was found in the sambar while the food was being served. Immediately all the 70 students who had consumed the food were provided treatment.

The school, has a strength of 187 students. As every day meals were served under mid day meals scheme in the afternoon.

One of the helpers noticed the worm in the sambar and immediately made all those consumed food to sit separately.

As the news spread, parents rushed to the school and took all the 70 students to the nearby government community health centre.

Doctors provided treatment and administered antibiotics as a precautionary measure, said Block Education Officer Purushottam. The BEO said that the worm was similar to an earthworm and that it might have gone unnoticed in the greens used in sambar.

According to doctors who provided treatment, if the food had been poisoned, the reaction would be known within three hours.

As the students were healthy and did not complain of any problem, they were sent home, he added.
DH News Service