KOTA KINABALU: A schoolboy is suspected to have died from food poisoning in the east coast Sandakan district, just over a month after two people in Selangor succumbed.
The Sabah health authorities are probing the death of the Year Four pupil linked to suspected food poisoning on Thursday.
“We are investigating the case,” said Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr Asits Sanna in a brief text message yesterday.
In a statement, Sabah Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin said according to the information they obtained, the boy, identified as Mohd Mifzal Anaqi Muhammad Rizal, 10, a pupil of SK Taman Rimba, had experienced food poisoning with his mother at their home on Tuesday.
“The incident was not caused by food from the school canteen as it involved only one pupil and he came down with food poisoning with his mother on the same day,” he said, adding that they were both warded at the hospital.
He said the school was then informed through a WhatsApp text that the boy was unable to attend class due to his condition and had obtained two days’ sick leave on July 23 and 24.
On Thursday, however, the boy’s class teacher was informed by a family member of the child that he had suddenly fainted the night before and was warded in the intensive care unit of the Duchess of Kent Hospital after being rushed there.
“Later, at 7am, the teacher was told by the boy’s father that his son had passed away.
“The headmaster and several teachers then paid a visit to the boy’s family home in Kampung Tinusa to pay their respects at noon,” said Raisin.
As of now, he said, the matter is under investigation by the Sandakan Health Office.
Raisin added that other pupils at the school did not exhibit any symptoms of food poisoning until yesterday.
“The Sabah Education Department, through the Sandakan Education Office, will help the victim’s family with the takaful insurance claims.
“We will come up with a full report once the probe by the Sandakan Health Office is completed,” he said.
Early last month, a food poisoning incident in Selangor resulted in two fatalities and 82 people experiencing symptoms believed to have originated from a meal of fried bihun and eggs.
The food in question was served at a school event in Gombak on June 8. The two who died on June 10 were a 17-year-old boy and a 19-month-old toddler.
A total of 28 cases had outpatient treatment while there were no hospital admissions, state Health director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said on June 11.
