Ice blunder: Re-used animal feed bags spark mass diarrhoea outbreak in Rayong schools

Shocking revelations have emerged from Rayong province, where a gastrointestinal nightmare unfolded, infecting over 1,400 teachers and students with diarrhoea. The culprit? Ice packed in re-used animal feed bags, a blunder that’s left local government officials scrambling to contain the chaos.

Today, November 11, Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, Inspector-General of the Ministry of Public Health, Health Region 6, revealed the grim findings after an investigation into the sudden diarrhoea outbreak that struck two schools in Klaeng district since November 5.

A staggering 1,436 individuals reported symptoms, including 1,418 students, an infection rate of 31.1%, and 18 teachers and staff members, at 9.8%. The norovirus, a notorious gut-wrenching virus, was cited as the prime cause.

The investigation kicked off when a primary school student sought medical attention at a private hospital on November 6. Subsequent tests revealed Norovirus genogroup II in multiple samples. Meanwhile, traces of Enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC) were detected in a secondary school student and Enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC) in a food preparer at an elementary school.

KhaoSod reported that Dr Sopon emphasised that contaminated “water and ice” consumed during recent school sports events were key risk factors. The water supply system in question, reliant on surface water, tested below standard chlorine levels, exacerbating the outbreak.

In a startling twist, further inspections of the offending ice factory unveiled concerning practices. Despite a valid operating licence and adherence to some procedures, it emerged that the ice was transported using plastic-lined trucks and packed in washed, reused animal feed bags—a veritable recipe for disaster.

Dr Sopon outlined a raft of emergency measures to quash the spread:

1. Chlorinating drinking and utility water tanks in the affected schools.

2. Collaborating with Muang Klaeng Subdistrict Municipality to enhance the quality of school water supplies.

3. Ordering the temporary cessation of ice sales from the implicated factory and improving sanitation standards on-site.

4. Educating ice factory workers and small retailers on hygiene, especially when handling crushed ice.

5. Instructing schools to halt the use of crushed ice for consumption.

6. Heightened vigilance and disease prevention protocols across all schools to thwart future outbreaks caused by contaminated food and water.

Dr Sopon’s no-nonsense approach aims to restore safety and regain trust, ensuring this frosty fiasco remains a one-off. As Rayong schools battle back from this health crisis, parents and staff alike demand accountability and lasting change.