More Than 3,300 Children In Egypt Hospitalized From Food Poisoning

This week, the province of Sohag in Egypt suffered one of the biggest food safety crises in years when more than 3,300 children were hospitalized from food poisoning at eight state-run primary schools, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.

According to officials, they suspect that the school lunches were contaminated and are currently analyzing samples, The New York Times reported.

Most of the children affected were younger than 12 years old and experienced vomiting within an hour of eating lunch, lawyer Ahmed Nashaat told The New York Times.

In total, 3,353 children were reported ill and were transported to the hospital by at least 50 ambulances.

Only 17 children remained in the hospital, with the rest recovered and have been discharged. There have been no reported deaths from the school lunch-related poisoning.

On Wednesday, Egypt's health ministry said that three people died of suspected food poisoning in the Nile Delta governorate of Qaliobiya, Al-Ahram reported. There were also 11 people from two related families in the Shubra El-Kheima district hospitalized for symptoms of suspected food poisoning.