Wild fruits ingested by pupils sent to Kemri for analysis
Eastern
By
Erastus Mulwa
| Feb 15, 2024
Samples of the wild fruits ingested by 51 pupils of Kanaani Integrated Primary School in Athi River, and which are believed to have been poisonous have been dispatched to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for analysis.
This comes even as seven out of the eight pupils who were admitted to Athi River Level 4 Hospital were discharged from the facility on Wednesday.
One pupil is still admitted to the hospital for further observation.
Machakos Heath Executive, Daniel Yumbya said the samples have also been extracted from the pupils and sent for testing at the Machakos Level 5 hospital laboratories as authorities strive to contain the incident.
“We have collected and dispatched the samples of the wild fruits that were ingested by the children to Kemri for analysis and also instructed our public health officers to destroy the remains of the trees in line with the established safety guidelines,” Dr Yumbya said in a statement to the press.
READ MORE
Equity Group forms team of top executives to curb rising fraud
White House rituals: Ruto's reception that included a picture at the Resolute Desk
How Kenya's ambitions to become regional aviation hub slipped
New EU rules threaten to dampen flower sector
South Sudan can unlock its potential with the help of investors
Riruta-Ngong railway line good for economy, mobility
'Poor public finance management is incentive for graft'
African leaders call for climate equity and financial reforms
Entrepreneurs to be trained on cybersecurity
Inflation edges up to 5.1pc in May amidst price hikes in key sectors
The minister further announced the county government will pay the hospital bill for the pupils.
The 51 pupils were taken ill on Tuesday afternoon immediately after eating the said wild fruits picked from a tree within the school compound. They exhibited vomiting and acute abdominal pains.
- White House rituals: Ruto's reception that included a picture at the Resolute Desk
- Equity Group forms team of top executives to curb rising fraud
- How Kenya's ambitions to become regional aviation hub slipped
- How Kenya could lose out on billions in rushed climate deals
- Little-known remote villages that draw plans to steal cattle