SUNDAY, September 30, 2012 (MedPage Today) — Nearly 7,000 schoolchildren in eastern Germany had fallen ill with gastrointestinal symptoms as of Friday, tied to lunches served at their schools, the German publication Der Spiegel reported on its website.
Diarrhea and vomiting were the principal symptoms in the outbreak, which began earlier this week. The afflicted children had all eaten lunches served at schools supplied by a single catering company, Sodexo.
Officials of the firm, which also does business in the U.S., said they did not believe Sodexo's food was responsible. Der Spiegel quoted a spokesman as saying "less than 5 percent of the schools we supply have been affected."
The Robert Koch Institute in Berlin was seeking to identify the causative agent, with noroviruses, Salmonella, or chemical toxins the leading suspects. It had not reached a conclusion as of late Friday, German media reported.
Source: GI Bug Sickens German Kids
Last Updated: 10/1/2012