At least 40 schoolchildren from one of Mongolia’s Turkish schools and five other people have been hospitalised with severe food poisoning. The youngsters became ill on 1 June in the Orkhon Province. Laboratory tests diagnosed shingelli flexneri – which causes fever, diarrhoea and stomach cramps – as the cause of the food poisoning. The condition of 13 students and one adult remains serious with persisting diarrhoea; the others are all recovering well.

Pupils from grades 6-12 began complaining about diarrhoea, high fever, palpitations and general discomfort after eating school lunch last Wednesday (31 May). According to a source, the school menu of the day was: egg kimbab, piroshky, watermelon, goulash, rice, pasta soup, potato casserole and fruit salad.

A total of 20 of the pupils who fell ill are borders at the Turkish school.