Video: FDA confirms food poisoning as cause of Accra High School outbreak

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has confirmed food poisoning as the cause of recent foodborne disease outbreak among some students at the Accra High School.

The Agency further cited Nontyphoidal Salmonellosis as the suspected disease condition. Nontyphoidal salmonellae are gram-negative bacteria that primarily cause gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and focal infection. Symptoms may be diarrhea, high fever with prostration, or symptoms of fecal infection.

On December 3, 2019, the FDA took over investigations into a case where some 35 students were admitted at the Adabraka Polyclinic for complaining of stomach discomfort after eating food served by the school.

Doctors at the facility after series of laboratory tests, concluded that food poisoning was the cause of the students’ condition.

The students have since been treated and discharged.

Preliminary findings by the FDA revealed that the affected students consumed Kenkey, fish and fresh pepper sauce prepared under the school feeding programme at the school, which they suspect could be the causative diet.

Headmaster of the Accra High School, Kwabena Baidoo, also assured parents and the general public of the safety of their children as calm had been restored to campus.

Following the conclusion of a two-week investigation, the Authority on Thursday revealed that “post-processing contamination might have occurred prior to serving and during the serving of the fried fish. That is the fish might have been contaminated with salmonella. Nontyphoidal Salmonellosis is the suspected disease condition. The suspected food sample was not available for sampling and testing.”

The report further said the kitchen staff and students did not have access to soap and running water for hand washing prior to the outbreak. Thus, some students washed their hands without soap while others washed in the communal bowl with the soapy water.

“The contamination, therefore, might have occurred due to these poor hand washing practices among the kitchen staff and the students,” the FDA added.

It has, however, ensured that some measures such as education of the kitchen staff on good hand washing practices are put in place, as well as equipping the facility with ‘veronica bucket’ and soap to be used for hand washing.

A follow-up inspection is also scheduled to be conducted by the FDA to ensure that the recommendations are complied with to prevent the re-occurrence of the outbreak in the school.