Cause of food poisoning in East China probed as hundreds of students reported vomiting, diarrhea

(ECNS) -- Hundreds of students at a vocational college in eastern China were reported to have symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea on Tuesday, with tests confirming a norovirus outbreak, local authorities said.

The incident happened at Binzhou Vocational College in Shandong Province. The school organized medical care for the affected students, and disease control teams were dispatched to the scene for investigation and sample collection.

Laboratory tests showed positive for norovirus from patient samples, according to the local disease control department.

As of Friday, there had been 413 hospital visits, with 17 patients hospitalized, all presenting mild symptoms.

A joint working group involving representatives from education, health, market regulation and other departments has been set up following the incident. Surveillance of cases, disinfection of key areas, and health education at the school are currently being carried out in an orderly manner.

The cause of the case is under investigation.

(By Zhang Dongfang)