Results of Examination After Children's Food Poisoning in Artashat Kindergarten Revealed

As previously reported, all children who were hospitalized on May 18 from Artashat’s No. 4 nursery-kindergarten with a diagnosis of 'food poisoning of unspecified etiology' were discharged from the pediatric department on May 22.

Samples of the food items included in the kindergarten's menu for May 18, 2023 (boiled eggs, soup with lentils, pea soup, and pilaf with pasta) were sent for laboratory testing. Samples were also taken from surfaces in the kitchen and group rooms, as well as biological samples from the kindergarten children and the staff.

According to the results of the food examination, the soup presented contained mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria (M.AF.A.n.M.K.) and Staphylococcus aureus. The pea soup showed M.AF.A.n.M.K. and Enterobacteriaceae (E.coli) bacteria, while the pilaf with pasta did not comply with Enterobacteriaceae standards set by the Customs Union technical regulations.

No irregularities were found in the boiled eggs. There were also no deviations noted in the drinking water samples. However, discrepancies were recorded in the samples taken from the kitchen and group rooms. Laboratory tests of clinical samples from the kindergarten children and staff revealed the presence of norovirus pathogens.

Considering the above, the probable cause of the outbreak in the kindergarten is secondary contamination. Currently, inspectors from the Food Safety Inspection Body of Armenia's Ararat Center are conducting state control checks at Artashat’s No. 4 nursery-kindergarten.