This could well turn out to be a virus going round.
A suspected case of food poisoning at the Auxílio Maternal daycare center in Funchal reportedly led to several children being taken to the hospital emergency room yesterday, according to DIÁRIO.
According to information gathered, approximately nine children, aged nine months and older, were admitted on the same day to both Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital and the Madeira Private Hospital presenting symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, allegedly after lunch served at the institution. In response to the situation, Public Health authorities were notified and went to the establishment, where they are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Contacted by DIÁRIO, the president of the nursery’s board, Graça Moniz, confirmed the existence of cases, but stressed that there is still no confirmation about the origin of the symptoms. “We don’t know. What we do know is that, out of a total of 283 children, we have 13 registered cases. As you can see, it’s a very small percentage,” she stated.
The official also assured that the institution acted immediately as soon as it became aware of the situation. “From the moment we became aware of the situation, we initiated the necessary procedures, namely contacting Public Health, which is currently investigating.”
The president of the board added that it is not yet possible to conclude whether it is a case of food poisoning or a virus. “It could be a virus, it could be an isolated case of poisoning. We are not experts, we will wait for the results,” she said.
The director also assured that the daycare center meets food safety requirements, with meals being prepared on-site and under technical supervision. “We have the utmost concern for food safety. We have implemented the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system and respect all procedures,” she emphasized.
According to what he indicated, the registered cases mainly involve younger children, distributed across different classes.
The situation is now under review by health authorities, and the results of the ongoing investigations are awaited.